The Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues (S/GWI) seeks to ensure that women’s issues are fully integrated in the formulation and conduct of U.S. foreign policy. The Office of Global Women’s Issues works to promote stability, peace, and development by empowering women politically, socially, and economically around the world.
"No country can get ahead if it leaves half of its people behind. This is why the United States believes gender equality is critical to our shared goals of prosperity, stability, and peace, and why investing in women and girls worldwide is critical to advancing U.S. foreign policy." -Why Women are Central to U.S. Foreign Policy, an Op-Ed by Secretary of State John Kerry
Secretary Kerry (Mar. 8): "Women’s issues, as we know, are more than just women’s issues. They’re families’ issues, they’re economic issues, they’re security issues, they’re justice issues." Full Text» Fact Sheet» Photos»
Secretary Kerry (Mar. 7): "Around the globe, whether they are creating and embracing new opportunities for education and entrepreneurship in Afghanistan, working for democratic reform in Burma, or advancing human rights in the Middle East and North Africa, more women are finding their voices, lifting up communities and nations, and paving the way for future generations to live a better life." Full Text»
Jan. 30: 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. Full Text»
Women's History Month is celebrated in March. Visit the gallery of this year's participants. Learn more about the history of this event at WomensHistoryMonth.gov.
