[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.