Tag Archives: USAID

News, Politics, Government

Caring for India's Women and Children

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By Dr. Jill Biden

Dr. Biden meets with community leaders, US and India agency officials, and NGOS

Dr. Biden meets with community leaders, US and India agency officials, and NGOS to discuss joint efforts to end childhood malnutrition. (Photo Credit: Carrie Levay)

Last June, the United States, India, Ethiopia, and UNICEF hosted the Global Child Survival Call to Action event in Washington, DC. In India, 43% of children under the age of five are underweight and 48% are chronically undernourished. To address this and other causes of child deaths that can be prevented, India issued a national Call to Action for Child Survival and Development to end all preventable child deaths by 2035.

Yesterday I wrote about my time in Kachhpura and how they are working to end malnutrition. Today I attended a roundtable discussion with Government of Maharashtra Officials, USAID, UNICEF, Indian civil society and private sector representatives to learn about their efforts to improve nutrition across the country and to make available other proven health interventions to prevent child deaths, such as immunizations, clean water, and treatment of pneumonia and diarrhea.

As a mom, this is a personal issue for me as no parent wants to see her child go hungry or be sick. I am inspired by how the communities that I have visited have launched into action to tackle this problem. I am heartened to learn of the joint efforts of the Indian government, civil society and private sector in close collaboration with the U.S. and UN Agencies to target children between 0 and 35 months old, one of the most vulnerable groups. I look forward to seeing their continued progress in the future.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

White House Press Office

Fact Sheet: The Obama Administration’s Comprehensive Efforts to Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women and Girls Worldwide

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By The White House

“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

From: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/04/19/fact-sheet-obama-administration-s-comprehensive-efforts-promote-gender-e

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

An Investment Opportunity for a Healthy World

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By Dan Newman, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Since 1981, 25 million people have died from HIV/AIDS. An estimated 1.7 million died in 2011 due to AIDS-related causes, with another 2.5 million newly infected with HIV. Beyond the human cost, the U.S. government spent $28 billion fighting HIV in 2012, and some African countries lose 1% in GDP growth each year due to the disease. It’s difficult to grasp these numbers, but it’s a problem crying out for several solutions.

One such solution is offered by Female Health Company : FC2, the only female condom approved by the Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization.

Social opportunity
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recently called for proposals for its Grand Challenges in Global Health grant program. One of the topics addressed this year is “reinventing the condom.” As the blog post describes the issue:

It may seem obvious, but the success and impact of any public health tool hinges on that tool being used consistently and correctly by those who need it. Vaccines sitting on shelves don’t prevent disease. New tuberculosis drug regimens won’t help if patients stop taking them halfway through the necessary days. Likewise, the potential value of condoms is limited by inconsistent use.

The FC2 condom is a superb public health tool that allows women to initiate protection against sexually transmitted diseases. As to making sure it is used consistently and correctly, Female Health has a variety of initiatives. In South Africa, Female Health has distributed 20 million condoms and trained 10,000 health providers. The company also runs a website with product information and training, it will be investing $14 million over the next six years in HIV/AIDS and reproductive education with global agencies, and it has set a goal of reaching 120 million more women in the poorest countries by 2020.

Profitable opportunity
Some may guess that doing business with developing countries wouldn’t allow for a very profitable business. However, when South African companies like Sasol  — which estimated 18% of its workforce carried HIV in 2007 — must dedicate departmental budgets to HIV/AIDS, there are plenty of opportunities for Female Health to cover costs and earn a return. A healthier workforce for Sasol would simply cost less for the company, and Female Health can help companies like Sasol achieve a healthier workforce.

Closer to home, at least 3% of Washington, D.C., residents carry HIV/AIDS. Working with Johns Hopkins, a study found:

…a public-private partnership to provide and promote FC2 female condoms, prevented enough HIV infections in the first year alone to save over $8 million in avoided future medical care costs (over and above the cost of approximately $445,000 for the program). This means that for every dollar spent on the program, there was a cost savings of nearly $20.

FHCO Revenue TTM data by YCharts.

Risky opportunity
Female Health‘s major customers are from the public sector — like the United Nations Population Fund and USAID — which the company warns can make for lumpy revenue due to

From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/18/an-investment-opportunity-for-a-healthy-world/

News, Politics, Government

Study finds most Haiti aid went to US groups

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A new report on American aid to Haiti in the wake of that country’s devastating earthquake finds most of the money went to U.S.-based operations.

The Center for Economic and Policy Research analyzed the $1.15 billion pledged after the January 2010 quake. The group says a lack of transparency makes it hard to track all the money. It found the “vast majority” of the money it could follow went to U.S. companies and organizations, more than half in the Washington area alone.

Just 1 percent went to Haitian companies.

The group has been critical of U.S. policy in the past, accusing the U.S. of a top-down approach to aid that does little to alleviate poverty in impoverished Haiti.

USAID did not respond to requests to comment on the report Friday.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

News, Politics, Government

Key US decision on Cuba terror-designation coming

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A normally routine bit of Washington bureaucracy could have a big impact on U.S. relations with Cuba, either ushering in a long-stalled detente or slamming the door on rapprochement, perhaps until the scheduled end of the Castro era in 2018.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry must decide within a few weeks whether to advocate that President Barack Obama should take Cuba off a list of state sponsors of terrorism, a collection of Washington foes that also includes Iran, Syria and Sudan.

Cuban officials have long seen the terror designation as unjustified and told visiting American delegations privately in recent weeks that they view Kerry’s recommendation as a litmus test for improved ties. They also hinted the decision could affect discussions over the release of jailed U.S. subcontractor Alan Gross, whose detention in 2009 torpedoed hopes of a diplomatic thaw.

Inclusion on the list means a ban not only on arms sales to Cuba but also on items that can have dual uses, including some hospital equipment. It also requires that the United States oppose any loans to Cuba by the World Bank or other international lending institutions, among other measures.

U.S. officials agree the recommendation, which Kerry must make before the State Department‘s annual terror report is published April 30, has become ensnared in the standoff over Gross. The American was sentenced to 15 years in prison after he was caught bringing communications equipment onto the island illegally while working for a USAID-funded democracy-building program.

Cuba has been on the terror list since 1982, and is also the target of a 51-year U.S. economic embargo — the reason why the island of beaches, music and rum is the only country Americans cannot visit as tourists. Removal from the list would not change that.

Critics say Cuba‘s inclusion on the list has little to do with any real threat posed by the Communist-run Caribbean island, and they say the list has become so politicized it’s useless. North Korea was removed in 2008 during nuclear negotiations that ultimately failed, and was never put back on. Pakistan, where Osama bin Laden had been hiding out, is not on the list in large part because of its strategic importance.

Longtime Cuba analyst Philip Peters of the Virginia-based think tank the Lexington Institute said removing Cuba from the list “makes sense … just because it’s been a specious allegation that the United States has repeated for many years … It would …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

News, Politics, Government

Audit finds US loan program in Haiti flawed

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An audit of a U.S. Agency for International Department program that aims to boost Haiti‘s economy by providing loans to overlooked business has found a range of problems in the effort.

Problems include a failure to train workers, to keep accurate records and to award loans to lenders to the intended targets of women, first-time borrowers and small- and medium-sized businesses.

The audit focused on four active guarantees, all worth $31.5 million.

The USAID loan program effort sought to promote greater lending practices to overlooked borrowers and in the areas of agriculture, construction, tourism, handicrafts and waste management.

USAID said it would follow more than a dozen recommendations, which included working with lenders to improve performance.

The audit was released Feb. 28 by USAID‘s Office of the Inspector General.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

News, Politics, Government

USAID chief visits Mogadishu, says US is committed

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The administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development is in Mogadishu for talks with top Somali officials.

The visit on Thursday by Rajiv Shah, the administrator of USAID, makes him the highest ranking U.S. administration official to visit Mogadishu in years.

The U.S. is embracing the new government in Mogadishu, a formerly war-torn city that has seen about 18 months of relative peace. Last month the U.S. formally recognized Somalia‘s government for the first time in two decades.

Shah, standing beside Somalia‘s president, announced $20 million in new funding to support health and education programs. Shah said the U.S. also wants to help Somalia fight corruption.

He said Somalia was mired in conflict, famine and terrorism, but that its story line is now one of resilience, recovery and hope.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

White House Press Office

Presidential Memorandum — Coordination of Policies and Programs to Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women and Girls Globally

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By The White House

January 30, 2013
MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
SUBJECT: Coordination of Policies and Programs to Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women and Girls Globally
Promoting gender equality and advancing the status of all women and girls around the world remains one of the greatest unmet challenges of our time, and one that is vital to achieving our overall foreign policy objectives. Ensuring that women and girls, including those most marginalized, are able to participate fully in public life, are free from violence, and have equal access to education, economic opportunity, and health care increases broader economic prosperity, as well as political stability and security.
During my Administration, the United States has made promoting gender equality and advancing the status of women and girls a central element of our foreign policy, including by leading through example at home. Executive Order 13506 of March 11, 2009, established the White House Council on Women and Girls to coordinate Federal policy on issues, both domestic and international, that particularly impact the lives of women and girls. This commitment to promoting gender equality is also reflected in the National Security Strategy of the United States, the Presidential Policy Directive on Global Development, and the 2010 U.S. Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review.
To elevate and integrate this strategic focus on the promotion of gender equality and the advancement of women and girls around the world, executive departments and agencies (agencies) have issued policy and operational guidance. For example, in March 2012, the Secretary of State issued Policy Guidance on Promoting Gender Equality to Achieve our National Security and Foreign Policy Objectives, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator released Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy. The Millennium Challenge Corporation issued Gender Integration Guidelines in March 2011 to ensure its existing gender policy is fully realized. My Administration has also developed a National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security, created pursuant to Executive Order 13595 of December 19, 2011, to strengthen conflict resolution and peace processes through the inclusion of women, and a Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence Globally, implemented pursuant to Executive Order 13623 of August 10, 2012, to combat gender-based violence around the world. Improving interagency coordination and information sharing, and strengthening agency capacity and accountability will help ensure the effective implementation of these and other Government efforts to promote gender equality and advance the status of women and girls globally.
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to further strengthen the capacity of the Federal Government to ensure that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote gender equality and advance the status of women and girls worldwide, I hereby direct the following:
Section 1. Strengthening Capacity and Coordination to Promote Gender Equality and Advance the Status of Women and Girls Internationally. (a) Enhancing U.S. global leadership on gender equality requires dedicated resources, personnel with appropriate expertise in advancing the status of women and girls worldwide, and commitment from senior leadership, as exemplified by the critical and historic role played by the Office of Global Women's Issues at the Department of State. To assure maximum coordination of efforts to promote gender equality and advance the status of women and girls, the Secretary of State (Secretary) shall designate a coordinator (Coordinator), who will normally also be appointed by the President as an Ambassador at Large (Ambassador at Large) subject to the advice and consent of the Senate. The Ambassador at Large, who shall report directly to the Secretary of State, shall lead the Office of Global Women's Issues at the Department of State and provide advice and assistance on issues related to promoting gender equality and advancing the status of women and girls internationally.
(b) The Ambassador at Large shall, to the extent the Secretary may direct and consistent with applicable law, provide guidance and coordination with respect to global policies and programs for women and girls, and shall lead efforts to promote an international focus on gender equality more broadly, including through diplomatic initiatives with other countries and partnerships and enhanced coordination with international and nongovernmental organizations and the private sector. To this end, the Ambassador at Large shall also, to the extent the Secretary may direct, assist in:
(i) implementing existing and developing new policies, strategies, and action plans for the promotion of gender equality and advancement of the status of women and girls internationally, and coordinating such actions with USAID and other agencies carrying out related international activities, as appropriate; and
(ii) coordinating such initiatives with other countries and international organizations, as well as with nongovernmental organizations.
(c) Recognizing the vital link between diplomacy and development, and the importance of gender equality as both a goal in itself and as a vital means to achieving the broader aims of U.S. development assistance, the Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment at USAID shall provide guidance to the USAID Administrator in identifying, developing, and advancing key priorities for U.S. development assistance, coordinating, as appropriate, with other agencies.
(d) The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (or designee), in close collaboration with the Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls (or designee) and the Ambassador at Large (or designee), shall chair an interagency working group to develop and coordinate Government-wide implementation of policies to promote gender equality and advance the status of women and girls internationally. The Working Group shall consist of senior representatives from the Departments of State, the Treasury, Defense, Justice, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Homeland Security; the Intelligence Community, as determined by the Director of National Intelligence; the United States Agency for International Development; the Millennium Challenge Corporation; the Peace Corps; the U.S. Mission to the United Nations; the Office of the United States Trade Representative; the Office of Management and Budget; the Office of the Vice President; the National Economic Council; and such other agencies and offices as the President may designate.
Sec. 2. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law or Executive Order to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) Upon designation as such by the Secretary, the Coordinator shall exercise the functions of the Ambassador at Large set forth in this memorandum.
(d) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
(e) The Secretary of State is hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.
BARACK OBAMA

Source: White House Press Office

News, Politics, Government

Russia pulls out of anti-crime deal with US, says it doesn't need help

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Russia pulled out of an anti-crime accord with the United States on Wednesday, the latest sign of rising tensions between Moscow and Washington.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has signed an order to scrap the 10-year-old agreement “because it was no longer relevant,” his office said.

The agreement covered fighting terrorism, corruption and cross-border crimes such as drug smuggling and human trafficking.

Alexei Pushkov, head of Russia‘s parliamentary foreign affairs committee, told the Interfax news agency that the decision reflected Russia‘s ability to manage its internal affairs without outside help.

A U.S. embassy spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

The agreement is just one of several bilateral cooperation deals that Moscow has decided to abandon. Last year, Russia expelled the U.S. International Development Agency and also warned it wouldn’t extend the Nunn-Lugar program helping it dismantle nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons stockpiles.

On Friday, the U.S. withdrew from a joint civil society group.

President Barack Obama‘s efforts to “reset” relations with Russia has met a markedly colder wind from the Kremlin since Vladimir Putin returned to the presidency in May. Faced with unprecedented street protests against his 12-year rule, Putin accused the U.S. State Department of staging the protests in order to weaken Russia.

After Putin’s inauguration, the Kremlin-controlled parliament then quickly rubber-stamped a series of laws imposing new restrictions in an apparent bid to curb American influence in Russia. Non-governmental organizations funded from abroad were required to register as “foreign agents,” a term intended to ruin their credibility among Russians for whom the term sounds synonymous to spies. The Russian definition of treason was also expanded to include potentially any contact with a foreign organization.

Two U.S.-based NGOs have closed their Russian offices in response to the new laws. The business daily Kommersant reported Wednesday that the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute, which ran programs championing democratic rights, moved their staff to Lithuania after Russian security officials threatened to prosecute them under the new treason law.

Amnesty International Russia director Sergei Nikitin wrote on his blog Wednesday that the closures “show the stability of the general trend: the pressure on civil society in Russia continues.”

After Congress passed a law introducing sanctions against Russian officials involved in human rights abuses, Russia responded by banning all adoptions of Russian orphans by Americans. The country’s top investigative agency is also investigating a sexual abuse case against American parents already convicted in the U.S. of abusing their adopted Russian child but given suspended sentences.

Lawmakers in the Kremlin-controlled lower house have also rushed to propose such measures as banning English phrases from Russian and limiting marriages between Russian officials and foreigners.

Outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told NPR on Wednesday that the Russian adoption ban was “tragic” and the decision to expel the USAID “really hurts the Russian people.”

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

News, Politics, Government

French bomb jihadists near Diabaly

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A Malian intelligence agent posted near the central Malian town of Diabaly confirmed that French pilots launched a raid on Monday morning close to the town.

The bombing run marks an expansion of the battle to retake Mali‘s north. Until Sunday night, the raids had all occurred in distant northern areas. The bombardments near Diabaly follows airstrikes late Sunday 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of the locality, in the rice growing region of Anatola, once the site of a major USAID-funded project.

The agent, who could not be named because he was not authorized to speak to the press, said that shots rang out near a military base in Diabaly. Soon after, he said French jets flew over the area, dropping bombs.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News