On July 12-13, the U.S. Government and the Royal Government of Cambodia convened the first-ever Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Policy Dialogue as part of the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI). Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched the LMI with the foreign ministers of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam in 2009 to enhance cooperation among the countries in the areas of environment, health, education, and infrastructure development. Burma formally joined the initiative in July 2012.
More than 150 representatives of government and civil society from the five countries as well as Australia, Japan and New Zealand gathered in Siem Reap, Cambodia, to find ways to ensure that women are fully integrated both as change agents and beneficiaries in the development activities of the LMI. Discussion topics included expanding women’s political and economic participation, combatting gender-based violence, including human trafficking, forging public-private partnerships, promoting women’s education and health, and engaging women as environmental leaders. Secretary Clinton, U.S. Ambassador-at-large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam An, and Cambodian Minister of Women’s Affairs Ing Kantha Phavi all participated in the conference.
Read the complete story at US Department of State, published 14 July 2012.
On July 12-13, the U.S. Government and the Royal Government of Cambodia convened the first-ever Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Policy Dialogue as part of the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI). Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched the LMI with the foreign ministers of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam in 2009 to enhance cooperation among the countries in the areas of environment, health, education, and infrastructure development. Burma formally joined the initiative in July 2012.
More than 150 representatives of government and civil society from the five countries as well as Australia, Japan and New Zealand gathered in Siem Reap, Cambodia, to find ways to ensure that women are fully integrated both as change agents and beneficiaries in the development activities of the LMI. Discussion topics included expanding women’s political and economic participation, combatting gender-based violence, including human trafficking, forging public-private partnerships, promoting women’s education and health, and engaging women as environmental leaders. Secretary Clinton, U.S. Ambassador-at-large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam An, and Cambodian Minister of Women’s Affairs Ing Kantha Phavi all participated in the conference.
Read the complete story at US Department of State, published 14 July 2012.