Jordan Times
Sunday, May 22, 2005
US first lady appeals for women's rights in Middle East
By Rami Abdelrahman
AMMAN — US First Lady Laura Bush on Saturday highlighted democratisation efforts
in the “broader” Middle East and North Africa, saying that more people are
finding hope, and taking action, to achieve democracy.
Delivering a keynote address at the World Economic Forum at the Dead Sea, Bush
said men and women are writing “a new chapter in the history of
self-government,” in the occupied Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Kuwait, Iraq
and Afghanistan.
“All people — men and women — want to contribute to the success of their
country. And all people must have the opportunity to do so,” she said.
Bush identified two ways to foster participation by all citizens: Education and
women's participation.
“Education can help children see beyond a world of hate and hopelessness to one
of unlimited opportunity... Education benefits all, and should be available to
all,” she said, noting that two-thirds of the world's 800 million illiterates
are women.
Through partnerships between Jordanian and US technology firms, Jordan is
ensuring that all children will have the skills they need to be part of the IT
revolution and find jobs in the marketplace, she said, adding that the Kingdom
has recently achieved a 90 per cent literacy rate.
Bush announced that through the Middle East Partnership Initiative, the US is
working with partners in Jordan, Lebanon and Bahrain to distribute more than 200
million translated children's books to schools in the region in a programme
entitled “My Arabic Library.”
The programme, according to Bush, seeks to put books in the classrooms and
encourage school principals, teachers, parents and community leaders to
emphasise the importance of early reading, besides helping mothers in literacy
programmes.
On the participation of women, she said that their freedom should not only
ensure freedom from oppression, but also the right to speak, vote and worship
freely.
“Human rights require the rights of women, and human rights are empty promises
without liberty,” she said, citing Iraq and Afghanistan as examples of countries
where achievements in this domain had been made.
Bush holds a bachelor's degree in education and a master's degree in library
science from the University of Texas.
She is leading the US delegation to the WEF, which also includes Deputy
Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Bureau for
Near Eastern Affairs Scott Carpenter, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near East
Affairs Department of State Elizabeth Cheney, four Republican senators, one
Republican congressman and one democrat congresswoman.
Also on Saturday, Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania received the US
first lady, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
King Abdullah and Bush met with a group of students representing 16 Arab
countries who presented the problems faced by their respective countries,
particularly the lack of security, a suitable educational environment, and job
opportunities after graduation in Palestine and Iraq.
The Monarch said it would be impossible to build the future without the vital
participation of the younger generation, especially that the youth category
constitutes half of the population of the Arab world.
“You are the hope of the future, not only of the region but the whole world,”
the King told the students.
Meanwhile, Bush visited Mount Nebo in Madaba Governorate on Wednesday, where she
was briefed on the artifacts on display at the site's museum.
In addition, the US first lady met with several women' activists in Madaba, who
briefed her on the progress achieved by Jordanian women in all fields.