Every now and again, we run into information on the web that catches our attention. This one definitely did as in part it resonates with what we are doing – empowering girls!

Below are extracts / quotes from the speech – feel free to read the full article here - http://bit.ly/aIwebI

We would also like to invite you to join our fan page here - http://bit.ly/facepage . This is the best way to stay updated with DA news / activities.

We welcome your comments, greater involvement and feedback

Best wishes

Sylvester and the DA Team

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Women as Agents of Change: Advancing the Role of Women in Politics and Civil Society

“The status of the world’s women is not only a matter of morality and justice. It is also a political, economic, and social imperative. Put simply, the world cannot make lasting progress if women and girls in the 21st century are denied their rights and left behind.”
 

…We know that when women and girls have quality healthcare, education and economic opportunities, their families flourish and the communities and nations in which they live advance in terms of development and security.
 

If you think about it -- what happens to women and girls truly impacts the security of the United States and the international community. We know this because we see that the suffering and denial of the rights of women and the instability of nations go hand in hand.

The global empowerment of women and girls will not happen overnight. It will require persistence and a multilateral commitment to realize change on a global scale.

“We believe that women are critical to solving virtually every challenge we face as individual nations and as a community of nations.”

“One the most serious challenges facing the international community is sexual violence perpetrated against women and children.”

We believe that investing in the education of women and girls is not only the “right thing to do; but it is the smart thing to do.”

As we seek to empower women through education, we must think of new ways to reach women and make education and skills training relevant to their lives.

… the gender gap is narrowing in primary education in many countries. However we know that one of the challenges is not only enrollment in basic education, but also getting girls to stay in school and creating an environment where they can successfully transfer from primary to secondary school and consider post-secondary options.

We know that literacy is a critical first step for acquiring the skills needed to participate fully in one’s society. Of the 759 million adults who lack basic literacy skills around the world, two-thirds are women.