Pathfinder Applauds President Barack Obama's Presidential Memorandum on Women and Girls

On Wednesday, President Obama took a significant and critical step in ensuring continued support for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls globally.  In a Presidential Memorandum, Coordination of Policies and Programs to Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women and Girls Globally, President Obama reaffirmed that “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.”

“The US has been a committed leader in supporting equality, health, and rights of women and girls. President Obama’s signature on this Memorandum reaffirms and strengthens that commitment for generations to come." - Jonathan RucksIn issuing the Memorandum, President Obama institutionalized the work undertaken over the past four years by out-going Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Ambassador at Large for Global Women’s Issues, Melanne Verveer. His directive will ensure the US government’s capacity to advance the equality and empowerment of women and girls in U.S. foreign policy is strengthened, expanded, and coordinated across a range of agencies.

“The US has been a committed leader in supporting equality, health, and rights of women and girls. President Obama’s signature on this Memorandum reaffirms and strengthens that commitment for generations to come,” said Pathfinder's Director of Advocacy Jonathan Rucks. “I am reassured by the directives recognition of the importance of having an Ambassador-At-Large lead the Office of Global Women’s Issues at the Department of State. The individual in this position will play a vital role in future US efforts to promote gender equality and advance the status of women and girls internationally.”

The Memorandum also affirms the linkages between gender equality and broader development goals, as well as establishes an interagency working group on international gender issues.

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