International Women’s Day 2009

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
March 8, 2009

On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2009, I am proud to honor women around the world who are blazing trails and surmounting obstacles in pursuit of equality and opportunity. Although you may not know their names or recognize their faces, these women advocates are hard at work in every country and on every continent, seeking to fulfill their right to participate fully in the political, economic and cultural lives of their societies. Often working against great odds and at great personal sacrifice, they are a key to global progress in this new century and deserve our admiration and support.

Put simply, we have much less hope of addressing the complex challenges we face in this new century without the full participation of women. Whether the economic crisis, the spread of terrorism, regional conflicts that threaten families and communities, and climate change and the dangers it presents to the world’s health and security, we will not solve these challenges through half measures. Yet too often, on these issues and many more, half the world is left behind.

This is not simply a matter of emotion or altruism. A growing body of research tells us that supporting women is a high-yield investment, resulting in stronger economies, more vibrant civil societies, healthier communities, and greater peace and stability. But even so, no nation in the world has yet achieved full equality for women.

Women still comprise the majority of the world’s poor, unfed, and unschooled. Hundreds of thousands of women die in childbirth every year. They are subjected to rape as a tactic of war and exploited by traffickers globally in a billion dollar criminal business. Laws are still on the books denying women the right to own property, access credit, or make their own choices within their marriage. And honor killings, maiming, female genital mutilation, and other violent and degrading practices that target women are tolerated in too many places today.

Like all people, women deserve to live free from violence and fear. To create peaceful, thriving communities, women must be equal partners. That means making key resources available to women as well as men, including the chance to work for fair wages and have access to credit; to vote, petition their governments and run for office; to know they can get healthcare when they need it, including family planning; and to send their children to school—their sons and their daughters.

Women also have a crucial role to play in establishing peace worldwide. In regions torn apart by war, it is often the women who find ways to reach across differences and discover common ground as mothers, caretakers, and grassroots advocates. One need only look to Northern Ireland, Rwanda, the Balkans, and parts of Central America to see the impact of women working in their communities to bridge divides in areas of sectarian conflict.

This week, as we celebrate the accomplishments and the untapped potential of women around the world, we must remind ourselves that ensuring the rights of women and girls is not only a matter of justice. It is a matter of enhancing global peace, progress, and prosperity for generations to come.

When women are afforded their basic rights, they flourish. And so do their children, families, communities, and nations.

http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2009a/03/120129.htm

Hilary in China: Our Next 30 Years

Just 30?  Our long term clean energy vision from one of our most prominent world leaders is only 30 years? I guess I would say that Hilary Clinton is a ‘Let’s do it now.’ leader, so a powerful and plentiful 30 year vision still  encourages my heart.

Here is part of the clean energy conversation she had with the US Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern And President of GE Energy China Jack Wen Yesterday, February 21, 2009, at the Taiyang Gong Power Plant, Beijing, China

“General Electric has provided high-tech equipment to produce heat and power with half the emissions, and far less water usage than the coal plants that we typically rely on. And Chinese businesses build the steam turbines that help to power the plant. So it is a true collaboration.

There are a number of partnerships currently underway between our countries, and it’s not only at the national level, but business-to-business, business-to-municipality, and even this one, which is particularly impressive: California has partnered with the province of Jiangsu, where Chinese officials have found that, by replacing aging motors in factories and adopting more efficient responses, they can eliminate the need for more than two dozen coal-fired plants with no added cost.

In addition to the cooperative efforts that are linking states and provinces, cities in China and the United States are finding the economic and environmental benefits very attractive when they collaborate on clean energy.

So, what we’re seeing here is the kind of in-depth partnership that we want to encourage. I decided to come to Asia on my first trip as Secretary of State, because I think that the opportunities for us to work together are unmatched, anywhere in the world. We take very seriously in the Obama administration, the issue of climate change. And we are going to be taking strong action to lower carbon emissions dramatically, and develop alternative sources of energy. The stimulus package of $790 billion that President Obama just signed includes extensive new investments in clean energy.

And similarly, here in China, your government is recognizing the importance of developing smarter and more sustainable policies for growth.”

A side note: I imagine this woman’s daily schedule and want to shriek in terror!  She meets in public forums with multiple organizations often in multiple countries every day and is capable of handling every conversation with intelligence, foresight, relatedness and wisdom.

I’d love to start hearing 100 year plans though. 100 year clean energy plan, 100 years of advanced education for our children, 100 years of natural science and land preservation, 100 year global peace initiative.  You make one up.  There’s room.  100 year plan for a Prosperous Mexico! 100 years of enlightenment in India.  There are natural expressions of human progress that are being missed because of limited focus on long term planning.  100 year corporate sustainability plans would make a difference in bull markets.

The Secretary of State’s closing statement:

“And so, now we have to take the next 30 years, and make our mark. And this is the area where I am most optimistic. So I will leave China tomorrow, encouraged by the possibilities of what a stronger relationship can mean for the Chinese and American people, for our economies, for our security, for our health, for our education, for our energy profile, but most importantly for your futures. That, to me, is what politics is supposed to be about. Are people better off when you end than when you started? Are people’s lives more possible, filled with potential, or not?”

I love you Hilary.

http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2009a/02/119433.htm