A CONVERSATION WITH
AMBASSADOR SHIRIN TAHIR-KHELI
Senior Adviser to the U.S. Secretary of State for Women's Empowerment

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In April, 2006, Shirin R. Tahir-Kheli was appointed by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to serve as her Senior Adviser for women's empowerment. In this capacity, she focuses especially on multifaceted outreach to the women of the Muslim world.

“The empowerment of women is vital to the President's agenda for promoting democracy and freedom. Strengthening the role of women and providing opportunities for them are important elements in economic development as well as social and political progress.” (U.S. Department of State)

Ambassador Tahir-Kheli recently sat down with Julie Vahdati, host of “A Woman’s World,” to talk about the four main initiatives that the Secretary’s office considers crucial to women’s progress worldwide: Political Participation, Economic Empowerment, Education and Human Rights.

Other topics of conversation included:

• Violence against women, including human trafficking and honor killing.
• Women’s progress in India.
• The success of the Grameen bank micro loans for women in Bangladesh.
• Status of women’s rights in Iran.

For more information about Ambassador Shirin Tahir-Kheli, Senior Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of State for Women’s Empowerment, you can visit the State Department website at:
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/56878.htm