CAIRO - During her visit to Egypt this week, the US Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues Melanne Verveer has had one bit of advice for Egyptian revolutionaries: "No country can go ahead if it leaves half of its people behind." The US diplomat told a press conference in Cairo that she was happy to be in Egypt at this historic time, when all Egyptians were coming together and talking about the New Egypt. “It's more inspiring than I can describe and everyone in the US now wants to know how can they help Egypt in this transition period,” she said. "American women are also asking what can we do to help our sisters in Egypt," added Verveer, who has met with Egyptian governmental officials, political party representatives, civil society leaders and the media, in order to support the participation and inclusion of women in Egypt's transition. Verveer stressed that any transition towards democracy should involve women. "Democracy without participation of women is a contradiction," she explained, adding that only Egypt can decide what form this participation should take. Still, she is concerned that the constitutional amendments committee didn't include any women. She described this as a lack of understanding of the role that women can play. Verveer points out that women have talents that can help the New Egypt and that they should also “defend what they have achieved and not go back.” During her two-day visit, she met with local business representatives, youth organisations and women's NGOs, to shed light on the work they are doing to promote women's empowerment. Verveer believes that Egyptian women's needs are the same as those of women in many other countries. "They need access to finance, business training and other things that can help empower them.” Verveer stressed during a Cairo briefing that, when she returns to the US, she will try and ensure that some of the finance promised by the US to help Egypt will go to supporting small and medium enterprises run by women. She added that the US would also support some training programmes and Egyptian NGOs. Verveer will visit Israel, occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank from Wednesday until Friday. She will meet with Israeli and Palestinian governmental officials, civil society representatives, women's organisations and others, in order to support the role of women as peace builders. It was President Barack Obama who appointed Melanne Verveer as Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, a new, unique position. Verveer co-ordinates foreign policy issues and activities relating to the political, economic and social advancement of women around the world. She drums up concrete support for women's rights and political and economic empowerment through initiatives and programmes designed to increase women and girls' access to education and healthcare, to combat violence against women and girls in all its forms and to ensure that women's rights are fully integrated with human rights, in line with US foreign policy.
