and the overall progress of a country. She appointed a close aide, Melanne Verveer, as the first United States ambassador at large for global women’s issues.” [New York Times, 3/8/15] Politico: Clinton Is “The Secretary Of State Who Elevated The Office Of Global Women’s Issues To The Seventh Floor Of The State Department With A Special ‘Ambassador At Large’ [And]…Mandated Gender Training For All New Foreign-Service Officers.” “The idea that Hillary Clinton simply doesn’t sincerely believe in her own doctrine just doesn’t tally with her rhetorical and substantive support for women and women’s rights across decades of public service. After all, this is the secretary of state who elevated the Office of Global Women’s Issues to the seventh floor of the State Department with a special ‘ambassador at large,’ who mandated gender training for all new foreign- service officers and under whom USAID programming for women mushroomed.” [Politico, 3/17/15] National Journal: “The Office Of Global Women’s Issues Runs Some 70 Public-Private Partnership Programs In 40 Countries” That Benefit African Textile Workers, Victims Of Sexual Violence In Congo, And Rural Workers Seeking Microloans. “The result has been high-level international advocacy for women and a department-wide proliferation of programs addressing the problems of women and girls. The department’s Middle East Partnership Initiative, for instance, has trained Egyptian women to be online activists and has tried to reduce child marriages in Yemen. The Office of Global Women’s Issues runs some 70 public-private partnership programs in 40 countries, ranging from teaching African women how to export their textiles and agricultural products, to training rural health providers in Congo in how to assist female victims of sexual violence, and offering micro-finance loans (in the form of pigs) to improve rural women’s economic stability.” [National Journal, 3/21/13] New York Times: Secretary Clinton’s Behind The Scenes Work On Behalf Of Women Included Her Successful Intervention “When Saudi Arabian Courts Refused A Mother’s Pleas To Block The Marriage Of Her 8-Year-Old Daughter To A 50-Year-Old Man.” “At the State Department, Mrs. Clinton emphasized how empowering women and girls could also enhance economies, national security and the overall progress of a country… Some of that work was behind the scenes, however. In her memoir, ‘Hard Choices,’ Mrs. Clinton tells of quietly intervening when Saudi Arabian courts refused a mother’s pleas to block the marriage of her 8-year-old daughter to a 50-year-old man. ‘Fix this on your own, and I won’t say a word,’ she recalled telling the Saudis. A new judge, she wrote, quickly approved the divorce.” [New York Times, 3/8/15] National Journal: Secretary Clinton “Placed Women’s Rights And Needs On The Agenda At International Conferences, On Trips, And Throughout The State Department Itself.” “Clinton and her handpicked ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues, Melanne Verveer, placed women’s rights and needs on the agenda at international conferences, on trips, and throughout the State Department itself. Clinton institutionalized this way of conducting foreign policy in 2010 in a first-time ‘quadrennial review’ that mentioned women more than 100 times, followed by a March 2012 directive billed as the department’s first-ever guidance to embassies and bureaus on how to advance the ‘strategic imperative’ of gender equality. ‘The department is focusing across all of our work to reduce disparities and proactively promote gender equality,’ the directive said.” [National Journal, 3/21/13] National Journal: Secretary Clinton Issued “The Department’s First-Ever Guidance To Embassies And Bureaus On How To Advance The ‘Strategic Imperative’ Of Gender Equality.” “Clinton and her handpicked ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues, Melanne Verveer, placed women’s rights and needs on the agenda at international conferences, on trips, and throughout the State Department itself. Clinton institutionalized this way of conducting foreign policy in 2010 in a first-time ‘quadrennial review’ that mentioned women more than 100 times, followed by a March 2012 directive billed as the department’s first-ever guidance to embassies and bureaus on how to advance the ‘strategic imperative’ of gender equality. ‘The department is focusing across all of our work to reduce disparities and proactively promote gender equality,’ the directive said.” [National Journal, 3/21/13] National Journal: Secretary Clinton And Ambassador-At-Large Verveer “Were Insistent Advocates For Afghan Women, Making Sure They Had A Presence At Peace Talks And International Conferences About The Future Of Afghanistan.” “Clinton and her handpicked ambassador-at-large for