Hillary's Inspiring Trip

I happen to be a fan and a friend of your president. …And I will raise this glass to the people of Liberia, who deserve the chance to have a future worthy of their hard work, their resourcefulness, their resilience; a future of the peace and opportunity, the development and prosperity, that should be the birthright of every single boy and girl.
Hillary Rodham Clinton in Liberia - August 13, 2009

But in many parts of Africa, and indeed around the world, the picture is not so encouraging. Laws deny women the right to own property, access credit or make their own choices within their marriage. Women comprise the majority of the world’s poor, unfed and unschooled. They are subjected to rape as a tactic of war, so-called “honour” killings, maiming, trafficking, child marriages, genital mutilation and other violent, degrading practices.
Hillary Rodham Clinton in the South Africa City Press - August 9, 2009

She talked chickens with female farmers in Kenya. She listened to the excruciating stories of rape victims in war-torn eastern Congo. And in South Africa, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited a housing project built by poor women, where she danced with a choir singing "Heel-a-ree! Heel-a-ree!"
Washington Post - August 18, 2009

Hillary has returned from her 11-day trip to Africa and the world is paying attention: this Secretary of State advocates for a better life and a better future for women and men, for boys and girls, around the world. She met with government officials and women entrepreneurs to discuss economic opportunity; with HIV/AIDS patients and health care providers in South Africa; with students and young leaders everywhere.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Hillary met with victims of rape and announced a $17 million plan to fight sexual violence, including programs to train doctors, supply rape victims with video cameras to document violence; and train Congolese police officers, especially women, to crack down on rape.

“Working through USAID, we will provide medical care, counseling, economic assistance, and legal support to 10,000 women living in North and South Kivu, and other areas…” Hillary said. “Our commitment to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence did not begin today, and it will not end today.”

Read Hillary’s roundtable on rape and violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo here.

See pictures of Hillary’s historic trip to Africa here.