U.S Ambassador-At-Large, for Global Women’s Issues, Catherine Russell, today visited the Women’s Trade Centre, in a drive to address the issues faced by women in Papua New Guinea.
Russell leads the U.S Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues efforts, to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls around the world.
Ambassador Russell, accompanied by the U.S Ambassador to PNG Catherine Ebert-Gray and her entourage and founder Women in Business, Janet Sape, took the time to marvel at the local handiwork before addressing the women.
In her address she drove home the importance of women’s full participation in the development of a nation.
“We need to support each other, and make sure that women go far if we want our countries to go far.”
She took quite an interest in the message behind the WIB’s logo.
“There is an african saying that popped into my head when I was watching you women, if you want to travel fast, travel alone, but if you want to travel far travel together and that’s what struck me as you were explaining your logo.”
In her role, Ambassador Russell also addresses gender-based violence, investing in adolescent girls, and integrating women’s issues into U.S. foreign policy.
“Ultimately President Obama keeps saying that countries will never succeed if women in those countries don’t succeed.”
