“When women succeed, nations are more safe, more secure, and more prosperous. Over the last year, we’ve seen women and girls inspiring communities and entire countries to stand up for freedom and justice, and I’m proud of my Administration’s efforts to promote gender equality worldwide.” –President Barack Obama, March 8, 2013
President Obama has made promoting gender equality and advancing the status of women and girls central to our national security strategy and foreign policy, including by leading through example at home. The Administration will continue to prioritize these efforts in the coming years, in collaboration with stakeholders throughout the world, recognizing that our journey is far from complete and that securing equal rights and opportunity for women and girls is not only the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do.
Highlights of the Obama Administration’s record to empower women and girls worldwide include:
Building Capacity and Enhancing Coordination and Accountability across the U.S. Government
Strengthening our leadership and coordination to enhance our impact abroad: On January 30, 2013, President Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum directing that the Secretary of State designate a Coordinator at the Ambassador at Large level, reporting directly to the Secretary of State, to lead the Office of Global Women’s Issues and to provide advice and assistance on issues related to promoting gender equality and advancing the status of women and girls internationally. In this Memorandum, President Obama also recognized the accomplishments and leadership of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, and established an interagency working group led by the White House National Security Staff.
Bolstering agency policies, staffing, and training: Agencies have issued policy and operational guidance, including at the Department of State, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), and USAID, to ensure a comprehensive approach on gender equality and women’s empowerment. From the Department of Justice to the Department of Defense, the Administration has expanded training and created new positions, including on the National Security Staff, to advance these policies.
Holding ourselves accountable and monitoring our progress: The MCC and its partners in compact countries have made significant progress in integrating gender equality into projects that support poverty reduction through growth. In March 2011, the MCC released guidelines for gender integration that make MCC’s Gender Policy fully operational, and MCC will continue to work to improve both global policy and practice. The Department of State and USAID are also launching new efforts to strengthen the evidence base on the importance of promoting gender equality, including by improving data collection and strengthening metrics.
Increasing Women’s Roles in Conflict Prevention and Security Decision-making
Empowering women as equal partners in preventing conflict and building peace: On December 19, 2011, the Obama Administration released Executive Order 13595 and the U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security to support women’s voices and perspectives in decision-making in countries threatened and affected by