Years & Counting

YEARS & 10 COUNTING he terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and the subsequent fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan provided a potent backdrop for the formation of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council (USAWC). The Tplight of Afghan women and girls captured the hearts of the American people. The counterpoint of their oppression, the horrific attack on innocent citizens in the United States, underscored their brutal oppression. The American public was outraged, particularly American women. First Lady Laura Bush captured these sentiments in her historic radio address on November 17, 2001. Americans wanted to respond. Harnessing the empathy, compassion, and energy of these individuals was to become the impetus for forming the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council—a mechanism to direct public and private resources to help Afghan women re-establish their rightful place in society and contribute to the rebuilding of Afghanistan. The stars were aligned. Influential leaders both in the White House and State Department began developing the idea of a private-public partnership to address the future of women in Afghanistan; they were inspired by the determination of several remarkable women in the private sector who were prepared to develop and fund new initiatives. The idea of a Council that would gather ideas and talent, channeling them into a private-public response, emerged in partnership with the Afghan government and the enthusiastic support of the President and the First Lady. On January 28, 2002, President George W. Bush and Afghan Interim Authority Chairman Hamid Karzai announced in a joint statement, following a White House meeting on security, stability and reconstruction for Afghanistan, that they would “…agree to launch a joint U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council to promote private- public partnerships and mobilize resources to ensure women can gain the skills and education deprived them under years of First Lady Laura Bush—Historic Radio Address NOVEMBER 17, 2001 First Lady Laura Bush called on all Americans to ensure women and children in Afghanistan, but also because that “dignity and opportunity will be secured for all the in Afghanistan we see the world the terrorists would women and children of Afghanistan. She said, “The like to impose on the rest of us. All of us have an plight of women and children in Afghanistan is a obligation to speak out… Fighting brutality against matter of deliberate human cruelty, carried out by women and children… is… a commitment shared by those who seek to intimidate and control. Civilized people of good will on every continent…. The fight people throughout the world are speaking out in against terrorism is also a fight for the rights and horror—not only because our hearts break for the dignity of women.” E S U O H E T I H W E H T F O Y S E T R U O C O T O H P Taliban misrule….” The Council was officially established as a presidential initiative in the State Department under the direction of the Under Secretary for Global Affairs and the Office of International Women’s Issues. Ambassador Paula Dobriansky, the Under Secretary for Global Affairs and the Council’s U.S. chair, provided strong, collaborative leadership in initiating the Council’s work. From 2002-2009, she led the Council along with the Afghan co-chairs, starting with the Minister for Women’s Affairs, Sima Samar, a dedicated advocate for human rights and women’s issues, and Foreign Minister, Abdullah Abdullah. First Lady Laura W. Bush (later named as Honorary Chair), from the beginning, demonstrated a deep and enduring commitment to the women of Afghanistan and to the Council. She was and remains a driving force for the work of the Council. Individuals from the U.S. government, private sector, and philanthropy who were willing to commit to organizing resources and support for specific projects were invited by the Under Secretary to join the Council as members. Cabinet members, including the Secretary of State, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Secretary of Education, Secretary of Labor, and Secretary of Agriculture joined as Honorary Members, as did a Justice of the Supreme Court. The inaugural meeting of the Council was held on April 24, 2002 at the State Department in Washington, D.C. This meeting would bring to fruition a mechanism for creating private-public partnerships to rebuild Afghanistan with a focus on women and girls and to ensure that the significant U.S. government expenditures in support of Afghan reconstruction included programs targeted specifically at women. The Afghan Minister of Women’s Affairs, responding to the needs articulated by Afghan women, identified several key areas of need: education, job creation, political training, capacity building, and health care; 3 these would become the major pillars of work for the Council. The Council agreed to its first project, implemented in fall 2002, a Leadership and Management International Visitor’s Bureau training program in the United States for 12 women in the Afghan government ministries. A Gift Fund was established at the State Department in May 2002 to allow for the solicitation and acceptance of private contributions to support Council projects in Afghanistan. Additionally, the U.S. Congress appropriated over $1 million in the FY2002 Afghanistan Supplemental for the State Department as seed money to fund initial Council projects, including exchange programs to train Afghan women in the U.S. and grants to NGOs to provide training programs in Afghanistan in areas such as literacy, computer skills, human rights awareness, and political leadership. All members of the Council were expected to initiate a project that would benefit the women and girls of Afghanistan and address the critical areas of need identified by the Afghan leaders on the Council. The earliest initiatives included ARZU (“hope” in Dari), a social entrepreneurship initiative that provides income, access to education and healthcare to Afghan women weavers by sourcing and selling the rugs they weave; a PBS media training program that led to a widely acclaimed documentary produced by Afghan women on their plight under the Taliban, Afghanistan Unveiled ; a hospital intervention targeting maternal mortality; the Grossman Burn Center for families; a TriWest Healthcare Alliance burn prevention campaign; Sunshine Foundation scholarships for Afghan women to attend U.S. colleges; Daimler Chrysler support to provide women access to microcredit loans; a dental clinic sponsored by the New Hudson Foundation; “Project Artemis,” an intensive entrepreneurship training program at Thunderbird School of Global Management; 4 Excerpts from a Speech Delivered by Ambassador Paula Dobriansky at the Launch of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council JANUARY 29, 2002 Long denied basic education, health care, and information and experience to support the opportunities to provide for their families, the resilient reconstruction of Afghanistan, as well as ensure follow- women of Afghanistan are once again regaining up. And, it will bolster the pivotal role that women will control over their lives and futures. We stand resolute in play in rebuilding Afghanistan. We are heartened to our support for Afghan women. …To that end, I am see girls returning to schools, mothers providing for pleased to announce that we have agreed to establish their children, and women returning to the workplace. a U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council. As the Afghan proverb Our efforts are a part of the restoration of rights for says “a river is made drop by drop.” This public-private Afghan women. As Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah partnership will link our Afghan colleagues with aptly stated “the life of every single woman and man in American partners, in academia, the private sector, this country has changed for the better…But that is not media, health services, and other key sectors. This will the end of the road, that is rather the beginning.” mobilize private resources and foster an exchange of “Afghan Women Leaders CONNECT ,” an initiative that supported women-led non-profits that deliver education, legal aid, and health support; and a training program for women judges. Ambassador Dobriansky began leading delegations to Kabul in January 2003, alternating Council meetings between capitals twice a year and adding new initiatives and programs. The Excerpt from an Interview Council meeting of April 2005 held in Kabul was a particularly momentous event. First Lady Laura Bush, a champion for the with John J. DeGioia, women of Afghanistan, who had met so many Afghan women in President, Georgetown the United States, longed to see their country. Her Chief of Staff, University Anita McBride, made this a top priority and succeeded in implementing this historic “secret mission,” despite all the In December 2008, we had the distinct honor of bringing the U.S.-Afghan security challenges. During this trip, Mrs. Bush visited some Women’s Council to Georgetown important Council-led initiatives and projects. At the National University, under the direction of Phyllis Women’s Dormitory she inaugurated the Women’s Teacher Magrab and the Center for Child and Training Institute at Kabul University. She also toured the Human Development. By doing so, we Afghan Women’s Business Association marketplace, planted a sought to use the unique resources of tree with the Women’s Conservation Corps and announced the our community—our Catholic and Jesuit tradition, commitment to service and establishment of the International School of Kabul (K-12) and social justice, and academic the American University of Afghanistan. U.S. Secretary of excellence—to advance scholarship and Education Margaret Spellings was on hand to sign a formal foster multidisciplinary collaboration to memorandum of understanding to establish these entities along further empower Afghan women. We with Minister of Education Noor Mohammed Qarqeen and continue to pursue these goals today, uniting leaders from government, the Minister of Higher Education Dr.

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