|
Let
me extend my welcome to all of you who have come
to the beautiful city of Marrakech to be part of
the first ever Global Summit of Women in the Arab
world. You are 650 strong from 80 countries
- the largest number of countries represented
in the 13 year history of the Global Summit of Women.
We stretch from Fiji to Peru, from Mexico to Romania,
from Algeria to Argentina.
Let
us all take this occasion to congratulate South
Africa for bringing the largest delegation of 59,
Spain for the second largest group of 47, and South
Korea for the third largest delegation of 37. The
strong presence of these three countries at this
Summit demonstrates the commitment of their women
leaders to truly being global.
Because
this Summit is being held in the Arab world, I am
very pleased to welcome to the Summit family for
the first time so many of our sisters from the region
whom we had not met in large numbers in years past.
Most important, let us all give a figurative embrace
to the Iraqi delegation, brought here with the support
of the U.S. State Department, and who are rejoining
the global network of women represented at the Summit.
We
come together again knowing that we must rebuild
the trust among different peoples that has been
torn apart by the actions of a few. Stereotypes
of each other based on lack of knowledge about other
peoples breed the kind of hate that is blind. So
here at this Summit, use the opportunity before
you to break through the veil of national identity
and find women just like yourself. Grab an idea
for its value without regard for whether it came
from an executive or a microentrepreneur.
Someone
asked me a few years ago why must women continue
to meet. I told that person that women work best
with those they've come to know. Women create bonds
that are the foundation of lasting connections.
I
salute all of you for your determination and commitment
to come together after so many hours of travel to
forge new ties. Women will be the cornerstone of
peace precisely because we are more willing to stretch
ourselves and our worlds to preserve what we work
so hard to achieve - our families, our
work, our communities, our country.
So
we are here in Morocco to create change for ourselves
and to do that we must speak the language of want
- to share what has been tested as opposed
to starting from zero.
Forty-three
ministers are also a part of the fabric of this
three-day event, and they have met today to explore
among each other some winning solutions to move
forward the economic lives of the women of their
country. You will meet them shortly and you will
see how extraordinary they are.
Three
of those interesting ministers come from our host
country of Morocco. They were appointed on the heels
of the election of 35 women parliamentarians in
this country. They and their colleagues in the region
demonstrate how truly inaccurate are the images
so many countries have of Arab women - of
creatures hidden behind veils and walls that keep
them out of the public life of their countries.
If any of you were here today at the Arab Women's
Colloquium on Economic Development, you would have
witnessed a broad range of women activists from
the region who are very much part of the economic
and political fabric of their countries. I ask my
sisters from the non-Arab world to take this unique
opportunity to learn about a region about which
so little is known through the women you meet in
the next few days.
In
Morocco we come together again as we did in Hong
Kong, upon the heels of violence and conflict. We
come together again as we witness fear and insecurity
bred by terrorists' acts of hate that have harmed
innocent people.
We
search for the practical in order to gain more immediate
results. After all, nobody ever gave away power.
We have to grab it for ourselves.
|
