The President, with the support and advice of the Secretary of State, often asks the First Lady to undertake overseas missions to promote American values and interests around the world. Since 1993, Mrs. Clinton has visited more than 60 countries as a means to achieve this objective.
As America’s foremost ambassador, Mrs. Clinton has taken the message of human rights, social development and empowerment of women around the globe. During her trips abroad, she has advocated for equality in education for girls and boys, meeting the critical health needs of women and children, access to economic opportunity through small loans to start up businesses (microcredit), and ensuring women an active role in the political life of their societies. She and Secretary Albright have advanced these issues as essential to the conduct of America’s foreign policy.
The First Lady has also promoted the role of civil society and religious tolerance, particularly in emerging democracies and countries with religious minorities. Mrs. Clinton has led efforts in the Western Hemisphere to improve the well being of children by inaugurating campaigns to eliminate measles, reduce maternal mortality and advance education reform. She also leads the “Vital Voices” initiative, which empowers women to make progress in their economic, political and judicial systems through public-private partnerships.
In taking her message across the globe the First Lady works closely with U.S. government agencies, particularly USAID and the Department of State, as well as with the United Nations, the World Bank, non-governmental organizations, and U.S. foundations and businesses. Examples of Mrs. Clinton’s work include her human rights address to the U.N. Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, her keynote address at the World Bank’s Summit on Safe Motherhood, and working with the World Health Organization on an initiative to halt the spread of tuberculosis.
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