I recently returned from a trip to Cairo and Sohag, a town in rural “Upper Egypt” along the Nile. I have traveled to Egypt before, but this time my visit fell during the lead-up to the first-round of Egypt’s historic parliamentary elections and fresh tensions and unrest in Tahrir Square. The air was electric, and […]
Archives for 2011
Addressing Sexual Violence in Conflicts and Disasters
Sexual violence often increases in conflict and disaster situations, typically exposing women and girls to increased threats of rape and assault, exploitation, and abuse. This happens because of population displacement, the absence of police, and the disruption of the normal social networks that protect women and girls. Therefore, when USAID provides humanitarian assistance, such as […]
Indigenous Internship Program Trains Peru’s Young Adults
The Price of Eggs
Gender experts have been advocating for sex-disaggregated data and gender sensitive statistics for more than 25 years. The 1995 Beijing Platform for Action called for “reliable gender statistics to inform policies and programs and to assess progress and gaps.” While progress has been made, notable gaps remain, especially in the area of women’s economic empowerment. […]
Building a Better Future for Persons with Disabilities
USAID is commemorating International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which is observed on December 3rd worldwide. According to the UN, persons with disabilities make up an estimated 15 percent of the world’s population. Below is a blog post from Montenegro exemplifying how our agency and partner organizations work to improve the lives of persons with […]
USAID in the News
Weekly Briefing (11/28/2011 – 12/2/2011) November 29th: The Taipei Times and The China Post reports that USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah will visit Taipei, Taiwan on December 1st and 2nd. Shah is visiting Taiwan at the invitation of the American Institute in Taiwan, as part of his trip through Asia to celebrate the USAID-Taiwan relationship, […]
Victim of Sex Trade Inspires Others to Adopt Healthy Behaviors
On World AIDS Day, I am reminded of a recent visit to Guatemala where I visited an old stretch of railroad called La Linea, which is now home to sex workers who rent tiny rooms for business each day. Their business is a precarious one. The solicitation of sex in exchange for payment brings inherent […]
World AIDS Day: New Advances Are Critical to Achieving the Vision of an AIDS-free Generation
Featured on Huffington Post For the first time since the AIDS virus surfaced, devastating communities and overwhelming nations, the world has the tools and knowledge to ensure an entire generation is born free from its scourge. By building on a strong legacy of progress and bipartisan support and relying on proven interventions and new breakthroughs, […]
Open for Questions: The Beginning of the End of AIDS
As featured on The White House Blog Tomorrow is World AIDS Day, and President Obama will be marking the occasion by speaking at ONE Campaign and (RED)’s Beginning of the End of AIDS event at George Washington University. You can watch the whole event live on YouTube.com/TheONECampaign. Later in the day, Gayle Smith, Special Assistant to […]
Shah: In defense of smart foreign assistance
As featured on CNN’s Global Public Square This week more than 2,000 government, civil society and private sector leaders have gathered in Busan, South Korea with one goal: to improve the quality and effectiveness of development aid. The setting is especially significant; 50 years ago, South Korea was largely a country of peasant farmers. It […]
