Ambassador Brown on Female Participation in Politics

Ministers, Ambassadors, Members of Parliament, Distinguished Guests,
 
The advancement of women’s issues is a top priority for me and for the United States Government.  I applaud the organizers of this conference for bringing all of us together to discuss the topic of strengthening women’s participation in politics and society.
 
Although women have always played key roles at home, women have a history of being marginalized on the political scene.  It was only in 1920 that American women received the right to vote.  In most European countries, women were granted voting right in the early to mid 1900s.  Extraordinary gains have been made by women over the past century, as women have overcome significant challenges and have gone from being marginalized to successfully serving as world leaders.
 
I have been in Montenegro seven months now, and have certainly noticed that women do not occupy as many high-ranking positions in government and private business as I believe they should.  Although America is still far from having 50% of political positions filled by women, women play a significant leadership role in our political process.  We currently have 80 women serving in our House of Representatives and 17 in the Senate.  Four women are members of President Obama’s cabinet and two others hold key cabinet-ranking positions leading the Environmental Protection Agency and serving as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.  Women occupy many other important roles in American politics, such as serving as Supreme Court Justices, Governors, Mayors, City Council members and Ambassadors.  Women also hold key advisory roles, shaping and influencing policy on the local and national level in America.  Thanks to their work, women’s issues are important components of domestic and international policy.
 
It is imperative that women play a significant role in politics around the world.  Our voices are necessary in order to advocate for the positive development of society and for issues which we hold dear, such as women’s and children’s rights, and equal access to quality education and health care.  Women’s rights are human rights, and women’s issues are human issues.  In order to have our voice be heard, women need to be leaders and active participants in the political debate.  

One of my main goals as Ambassador is to work to support women in Montenegro, so that they can rise to higher positions of influence in Montenegrin society.   The U.S. Embassy strategically incorporates women’s empowerment into our programming.  For example, the U.S. Embassy provides grants to Montenegrin NGOs which directly assist victims of domestic violence.  Combating domestic violence is key, because if women are not safe in their own homes, they cannot be full contributors to society.
 
In order to ensure a cadre of strong women leaders will exist in the future, development, mentorship and education of young women is imperative.  The U.S. Embassy selects bright young women to participate in a variety of academic development experiences.  We also empower rising female leaders through professional training programs and exchanges.  
 
Mentorship, education and professional development are key to giving women the tools in order to enter the political debate and change society.  History shows that when women and girls have access to opportunity, societies are more just, economies are more likely to prosper and governments are more likely to serve the needs of all their people.
 
I look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments and discussing with you how women can work together more to positively impact society.

Thank you.