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March 19 conference on literacy and education for Afghan women and girls

“Former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush spotlighted the harsh reality as well as the progress and hope for Afghan...

“Former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush spotlighted the harsh reality as well as the progress and hope for Afghan women and girls in the first public conference Friday of the George W. Bush Institute at Southern Methodist University. The education and literacy conference drew dignitaries and scholars from across the globe, a testament to the drawing power of the former president and the prestige of the institute, part of the still-evolving George W. Bush Presidential Center at SMU.” So the Dallas Morning News described Friday’s conference, co-sponsored with the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Conference, Educating and Empowering the Women and Girls of Afghanistan: A Conference on Education and Literacy.  Speakers included President and Mrs. Bush, the highest-ranking full-time advocate for women in the Obama administration, the director-general of UNESCO, key members of the Bush Administration active in women’s programs in Afghanistan, and Afghanistan’s Ambassador to the U.S. But all focused on an extraordinary group of Afghan and American women who are actively involved in bringing literacy and education to women and girls in cities and villages throughout Afghanistan.  Please visit our Conference Highlights page to learn more about this conference, the work of these women, what you can do to help, and the Bush Institute’s future plans in this area.