[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 10 (Monday, March 13, 2006)]
[Pages 409-412]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at a Celebration of Women's History Month and International 
Women's Day

March 7, 2006

    Thank you all. Thank you, Laura. Welcome to the White House. We like 
to call this the people's house. I want to remind people from around the 
world that we're only temporary occupants here, but we're trying to make 
the most of our time here.
    I want to welcome you all as we celebrate Women's History Month and 
International

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Women's Day. Thanks for coming. We recognize the many contributions 
women have made to our country. We also honor those who have helped 
bring equality and freedom to women around the world.
    A lot of strong women have influenced my life--[laughter]--beginning 
with my mother. [Laughter] She told me to say that, by the way. 
[Laughter] I am blessed to have a strong wife. And we are raising two 
young women to become independent, capable risk-takers--[laughter]--so 
that they can realize their dreams.
    I have been blessed to have strong women in my Government. My 
administration is better off to have really capable women who feel 
comfortable marching in the Oval Office and giving the President their 
frank advice. [Laughter]
    I want to thank Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, who is with us; 
Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings--she's been giving me frank 
advice ever since I was the Governor of Texas. [Laughter] I want to 
thank Karen Hughes--Ambassador Karen Hughes, the Under Secretary for 
Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. She's been really giving me a lot 
of advice. [Laughter] Paula Dobriansky, the Under Secretary for 
Democracy and Global Affairs; Harriet Miers, my attorney --by the way, 
for those of you who aren't familiar with America, it's always good to 
have a good attorney. [Laughter] Harriet Miers is my attorney. She gives 
me legal advice.
    Fran Townsend is in charge of our--part of the National Security 
Council in charge of homeland security. Protecting our homeland is a 
vital part of America, and I rely upon a very capable, strong woman to 
give me good advice.
    I want to thank my friend Pat Brister who is the U.S. Representative 
to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, for joining us. 
Pat is--there she is--from Louisiana, where Laura and I will be 
tomorrow, by the way.
    I want to thank Congresswoman Judy Biggert from the State of 
Illinois. She's with us. For those of you who are unfamiliar with our 
Congress, we have a lot of very capable women who are running for office 
and have become elected--and making a big difference in the Halls of 
Congress. I appreciate the members of the diplomatic corps who have 
joined us. Thank you all for coming. It's good to see so many 
ambassadors and ambassadresses here today. [Laughter]
    I want to thank the members of the United States-Afghan Women's 
Council who are here. You all are making a significant difference in the 
lives of people who are beginning to feel the freshness of the light of 
democracy. And as Laura mentioned, we were in Afghanistan with President 
Karzai. And there's nothing better than being in a country that's 
beginning to realize the benefits of freedom, particularly women who 
have been completely suppressed under the Taliban are now beginning to 
see the beautiful--breathe that beautiful air of a free society. And so 
I want to thank the members of the United States-Afghan Women's Council 
for being so diligent and caring and staying with this important issue--
that issue being the freedom of women in Afghanistan.
    I want to thank the members of the International Republican 
Institute and the National Endowment for Democracy. Thank you for 
hosting our international delegates. Thank you for helping them in their 
training exercises and sharing expertise and compassion. I want to thank 
the delegations from Afghanistan and Iraq and around the world for 
joining us today. You're welcome in the United States of America--I hope 
you feel that way.
    The struggle for women's rights is a story of strong women willing 
to take the lead. That's particularly true in the United States of 
America, where women like Susan B. Anthony and Alice Stone Blackwell and 
Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Rosa Parks changed the course of our Nation's 
history. Our history was altered because strong women stood up and led. 
These women broke down barriers to equality. We weren't always an equal 
society in America, and it required strong leadership to help make 
America a more equal place. And we're a better place because of the 
leadership of women throughout our history.
    Women today are shaping the future of America as scientists and 
entrepreneurs and teachers and astronauts. They serve our Nation with 
honor and distinction in our Armed

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Forces. The distinguished leadership of women like Secretary of State 
Condi Rice--where is she--she had an excused absence--[laughter]--and 
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor has helped open doors for women for future 
generations.
    Across the world, the increasing participation of women in civic and 
political life has strengthened democracies. A democracy is strong when 
women participate in the society. The nation of Liberia recently elected 
its first woman President, and Laura and Secretary Rice were there to 
witness her swearing-in. I look forward to welcoming her to America, by 
the way.
    Women lead Governments in Germany, in Chile, and the Philippines. In 
Rwanda, nearly half of the members of Parliament are women. And women 
are now holding more parliamentary seats in nations like Morocco and 
Jordan and Tunisia.
    In the last 4 years, we have also seen women make great strides in 
Afghanistan and Iraq--countries where just a few years ago, women were 
denied basic rights and were brutalized by tyrants. Today in 
Afghanistan, girls are attending school. That speaks well for 
Afghanistan's future. Women hold about 20 percent of the seats in the 
National Assembly. Nobody could have dreamed that was possible 5 years 
ago. In last fall's elections, about 40 percent of the voters were 
women. In Iraq, women are voting in large numbers, and when the new 
Iraqi Parliament takes office, women will hold about one-quarter of the 
seats.
    The United States is working to increase opportunities for women in 
these two emerging democracies. Through the Iraqi Women's Democracy 
Initiative, we're providing funds for Iraqi women to receive training in 
political leadership and learn about the legislative process, the 
judicial system, and how to defend and promote human rights.
    In Afghanistan, we're helping women find ways to join the political 
process at the local level and to acquire the skills they need for 
advocacy and communication. We're working with the private sector in 
America to help Afghan women travel abroad to learn more about the 
political process and to be able to exchange ideas with fellow women, 
just like which is taking place here in America today.
    Our work to help build vibrant and functioning democracies in 
Afghanistan and Iraq is part of a larger effort to encourage progress 
across the broader Middle East. We refuse to accept the status quo in 
the United States of America, particularly when we find women repressed. 
As women become a part of the democratic process, they help spread 
freedom and justice and most importantly of all, hope for a future.
    One important program is the Women's Democracy Network, which is 
holding its inaugural meeting this week in Washington. This conference 
provides an opportunity for women leaders around the world to connect 
with each other and serve as mentors for women in developing democracies 
so they can help shape the future of their nations.
    As we work to advance the equality of women in the world's newest 
democracies, we must remember that many women in other countries around 
the world are still struggling for basic rights in places like Iran and 
North Korea and Burma. America will help women stand up for their 
freedom, no matter where they live.
    Recently I welcomed two women from Belarus who were concerned about 
the repressive nature of their Government. We stand with the women in 
Belarus who advocate human rights in a runup to this month's election. 
America will continue to support courageous reformers around the world--
women like Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent years under 
house arrest for her efforts to bring democracy to her nation.
    We will continue to fight the threats to women across the world. 
We'll continue working with nations around the world to end the sexual 
exploitation and the trafficking of women and young girls. It breaks our 
hearts, our collective hearts, to realize many young girls are sold into 
sex slavery, and we will use our prestige to stop that evil process.
    We will continue working to fight the transmission of HIV/AIDS. 
America is proud to lead the world in the struggle to defeat this 
pandemic. We understand that by defeating the pandemic of HIV/AIDS, we 
will help children and women, who have been disproportionately affected 
by this horrible pandemic.

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    We live in extraordinary times. These are exciting times. They are 
times that require a firm conviction in our beliefs that all people are 
created equal. We've seen the fall of brutal tyrants and the rise of 
democracy. We're also seeing women take their rightful place in 
societies that were once closed and oppressive. And the United States 
welcomes the arrival of women into these oppressive societies. There's 
no doubt in my mind, empowering women in new democracies will make those 
democracies better countries and help lay the foundation of peace for 
generations to come.
    So Laura and I welcome you to the White House. We're really glad 
you're here. We're so glad you're here, we're about to throw a reception 
on your behalf. [Laughter] And we wish you to enjoy it.
    May God bless everybody here. May God bless your families, and may 
God bless our respective nations. Thank you for coming.

Note: The President spoke at 10:44 a.m. in the East Room at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to President Hamid Karzai of 
Afghanistan; former Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor; 
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia; Chancellor Angela Merkel of 
Germany; President-elect Michelle Bachelet of Chile; President Gloria 
Macapagal-Arroyo of the Philippines; Irina Krasovskaya and Svyatlana 
Zavadskaya, widows of prodemocracy advocates who disappeared in Belarus; 
and Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy in 
Burma. The transcript released by the Office of the Press Secretary also 
included the remarks of the First Lady, who introduced the President.