Speeches of Ambassador Perry

National Launching of "The Council of Women Councilors" (08 April 09) 

Your Excellency, the First Lady,
Honorable Ministers,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Councilors,
President, 50/50 Group,
Honored guests, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.

I am so pleased to be here this afternoon to recognize your achievements and successes in launching this very important Council.  I extend my sincere congratulations to each and every one of you for the crucial work you do to advance the status of women in Sierra Leone. 

It is heartening to see so many powerful women here to show their solidarity and commitment to causes we all believe are so crucial to the development of Sierra Leone.  We commend all the female Councilors and all those women who took the courageous step to run for office last summer.  It was impressive to see that the number of women councilors increased by 65% in the local council elections.  Now, every local council in Sierra Leone has at least one woman’s voice.  We still have a long way to go, but that is real progress.

In March, the international community commemorated Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day. 

The American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton noted that, “Around the world, women are taking the lead to help save and change their families, their villages and neighborhoods, their communities and countries, and indeed the planet.”  Women in Sierra Leone, as in the entire world, make up more than half the population and, therefore, merit a strong voice in how their respective countries develop.  You have shown – through your hard work and dedication – that Sierra Leonean women are as capable of leadership as their male counterparts, and are sometimes more capable as elsewhere in the world. 

In the United States, we have fought for women’s rights for centuries, and we still face tremendous challenges, but we are proud to be able to help women around the world use their talents and dedication to make their countries better.  The United States Agency for International Development supported by other United States Government agencies like the Centers for Disease Control manages to fund in Sierra Leone numerous economic development and empowerment programs on women and youth including the Ambassador's Girls Scholarship Program in education and the Special Self Help Program to support economic development.

In Sierra Leone, organizations like NDI, IFES, and others are funded almost exclusively by the people and government of the United States of America.  Through these organizations, we have supported women with the desire and the drive to pursue their political ambitions.  Through a general election support initiative of $1.3 million and another $1 million for a “Women as Candidates” initiative, USAID empowered women with a variety of development and capacity building programs for example through electoral training. 
The United States has been a pioneer of women’s rights around the world for decades, drawing on the growing pains we dealt with in our own history, the massive strides we’ve made in the past few decades, and the realization of how far we still have to go.  The strong women in our own government – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice in the Executive Branch, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in the Legislative Branch and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the Judicial Branch, to name a few -- are a testament to how far we have come.

While the donor community has the potential to make an impact on local issues, we believe that the best way to support Sierra Leonean women is to provide Sierra Leoneans the resources and the capacity to support themselves.  We want to ensure that our financial contributions are put to use where the women of Sierra Leone themselves know they will make the most profound impact.  You are the only ones who know what you need in order to move forward.

All of you here today will be going out to share what you have learned through the process of political participation -- those of you who were successful in your campaigns alongside your sisters who did not win at the ballot boxes. All of you are uniquely poised to make a difference, not only for women, but for Sierra Leone.  Relish your role; your daughters, and their daughters again, who will enjoy their political participation as a positive effect of your efforts, will honor you.

I would like to extend my congratulations again to all of you for the achievements you have made.  By standing up and being heard, you have gained ground for the cause of women.  I am confident that you will continue your noble work to secure the future of this country for the next generation.

As President Obama said on the occasion of International Women’s Day:  “The United States is filled with great hope that our daughters, and the daughters of all nations, will continue to serve as leaders in the pursuit of our collective well-being and have the opportunity to achieve their full potential.”