Investing in Women
Although I agree with the premise of Kavita Ramdas’s essay that the next U.S. president can regain moral authority by promoting gender equality ("What America Must Do: A Woman’s Worth," January/February 2008), her assertion that reaching this goal will not cost a dime is misguided. For the United States to be effective in repairing its ...
Although I agree with the premise of Kavita Ramdas's essay that the next U.S. president can regain moral authority by promoting gender equality ("What America Must Do: A Woman’s Worth," January/February 2008), her assertion that reaching this goal will not cost a dime is misguided. For the United States to be effective in repairing its image abroad, any rhetoric must be backed with adequate funding for investments in proven strategies that promote gender equality, including education and skills training.
Although I agree with the premise of Kavita Ramdas’s essay that the next U.S. president can regain moral authority by promoting gender equality ("What America Must Do: A Woman’s Worth," January/February 2008), her assertion that reaching this goal will not cost a dime is misguided. For the United States to be effective in repairing its image abroad, any rhetoric must be backed with adequate funding for investments in proven strategies that promote gender equality, including education and skills training.
The White House has passionately spoken out in support of women’s rights around the world, yet U.S. funding for international women’s programs has remained extremely low during the past decade. Achieving gender equality will require a commitment to implement effective programs and policies, especially those at the community level. That costs money. New gender policies addressing women’s economic and social vulnerabilities in a number of new initiatives, including the Millennium Challenge Account, offer promise, but they will need dedicated resources to materialize.
Ramdas rightly points out that investing in women is the best and most efficient investment that can be made toward economic development. But more talk without a financial commitment will only further undermine U.S. credibility. There is no quick — or cheap — fix.
–Geeta Rao Gupta
President
International Center for Research on Women
Washington, D.C.
Kavita Ramdas replies:
Geeta Rao Gupta, my esteemed colleague and ally in the fight to promote women’s rights worldwide, is absolutely correct in pointing out that my recommendation to the new American president on prioritizing gender equality is misleading if I claim that "it won’t cost a dime." I did not intend to imply that in my article. Indeed, all of us in the global women’s movement are tired of the empty promises regarding women’s education and empowerment that are rarely backed by the financial commitment to make those goals realizable.
I believe, however, that a true commitment to gender equality from the highest levels of leadership in a nation requires political will and moral character. Unfortunately, the Bush White House, despite its rhetoric on "liberating the women of Iraq and Afghanistan," has shown neither. It is in that sense alone — demonstrating genuine social awareness and political courage — that my words will hopefully resonate for the presidential candidate who is brave (or foolhardy) enough to step up to the plate. It is, after all, a place where presidents have so far feared to tread.
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