    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
    [March 23, 2000]
    [Page 523]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in a Discussion With Members of a Dairy Cooperative in
    Naila Village, India
    March 23, 2000

        The President. But one thing I think is important to mention,
    though. You talked about with the dairy cooperatives, how you've now
    computerized all your transactions. Well, the computer can be anywhere.
    And that means that all kinds of jobs can now be in small rural villages
    everywhere in the world which before could only be in cities. But in
    order to have them, people have to have a certain level of education and
    a certain level of credit.
        And I think that people should think more about what other kinds of
    jobs computers make possible, as well as the successful dairy
    cooperative.

    [At this point, a young woman participant commented through an
    interpreter that learning computer skills could help village children
    get better jobs, but that greater opportunities would have to be
    provided there for them.]

        The President. Since I have been the President of the United States,
    I have traveled around the world and met in villages like this in Africa
    and Latin America, China, and now here in India. And my wife has done even more than I have. And we try to
    invest money in the education of girls to make sure that girls and boys
    both have the same chance to get an education. And this year we will
    finance around the world about 2 million of the kind of small loans you
    have been talking about.
        But we are looking more and more at trying to make sure that every
    village has at least one computer hookup like this, and you have given
    me a lot of ideas. And I just want to congratulate you for your courage
    and your persistence. And I hope my coming here will cause everyone in
    India to know about what you are doing, and maybe more women will follow
    your lead.
        Q. My name is Chitra, and I wanted to convey to you that, through
    the Women's Development Project, we are trying to create awareness among
    young girls so that when they grow older and they become women, they do
    not have to face many of the problems that we, as children, had to face,
    especially related to our bodies, our sexuality, and our non-economic
    empowerment.
        I think it is time to wind up. I will now request Kanta Guswami to
    give you a smart card, so that you can become a member of the dairy
    cooperative here. [Laughter]

    [At this point, Kanta Guswami presented the
    smart card to the President.]

        The President. I grew up in a place with many dairy cows. And I know
    what hard work it is. And I will always treasure this. And I will put
    this up in the White House so that people from all over the world will
    know I have come here, and I can tell them the story of what you are
    doing.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:55 a.m. in a meeting room in Naila
    Village, near Jaipur. A tape was not available for verification of the
    content of these remarks.