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10th Anniversary of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council

  On March 21, 2012 Former First Lady Mrs. Laura Bush and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joined with members of the U.S.-Afghan...

  On March 21, 2012 Former First Lady Mrs. Laura Bush and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joined with members of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council to celebrate the Council’s 10th Anniversary. More than 200 Americans and Afghans filled the grand Benjamin Franklin Room at the State Department for the celebration. Secretary Clinton and Mrs. Bush joked that during lunch they were discussing the perks of being First Lady – one of which is the ability to champion great causes in ways that can contribute to lasting change, and that Cabinet Secretaries always take the call of the First Lady and are eager to support her work. As First Lady, Mrs. Bush served as Chair of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council. Since returning to Dallas, Mrs. Bush has assumed the role of Honorary Advisor to the Council and has promoted the cause of Afghan women through her work as chair of the Women's Initiative at the Bush Institute. She is a champion for women and girls, and her deep commitment over the past ten years has helped Afghan women and girls achieve great gains. As we look back on a decade of progress, we are reminded of the unimaginable reality women faced during the years of the Taliban.  When Mrs. Bush gave the historic radio address to the nation in November 2001, Americans were horrified to learn of the brutal treatment of women.  When President Bush and President Karzai created the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council 10 years ago, women were not permitted to leave their homes without a male escort and girls were forbidden to attend school. Today, women are a part of the economy, serve in public office, and girls are graduating from school.  As we mark a decade of notable advancement of women in Afghanistan, we are reminded that the hard-won progress must not be reversed, not only for sake of women, but for the stability and success of Afghanistan.This post was written by Charity Wallace, Director of the Women's Initiative at the George W. Bush Institute and Senior Advisor to Mrs. Laura Bush