A Watershed Moment For Muslim Women

Carly Fiorina: The Circumstances Are Ripe To Help Them Fulfill Their Leadership Potential

(CBS)  Carly Fiorina is the former CEO of Hewlett Packard. Currently CEO of Carly Fiorina Enterprises, she has participated with the United States State and Defense Departments’ transformational diplomacy and defense business boards. She chairs the One Woman Initiative.

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President Obama's outreach to the Muslim world is now being dissected and debated by various groups in our country and in the diverse Muslim world.

His speech has many facets with which we can agree and disagree, but on the broad themes we can all agree-we must seize the opportunity to promote peace, foster understanding and respect in an interdependent world, and enable the pursuit of happiness for all peoples in the face of power seeking extremists who would who use fear and violence in the name of religion.

Women in the Muslim world have a particular challenge and are at a watershed moment as they seek to exercise basic human rights under the rule of law, pursue the opportunity to work and support their families, and fulfill their leadership potential.

President Obama briefly addressed women’s rights in his remarks underscoring that countries where women are well educated are far more likely to be prosperous. Particularly compelling was his admonishment that "all of us have a responsibility to work for the day when the mothers of Israelis and Palestinians can see their children grow up without fear."

He was speaking to governments with a direct stake in the Middle East, but I believe business leaders and even individuals everywhere share that responsibility. In fact, the most creative and effective initiatives combine the best thinking of the public and private sectors, policy makers and business executives. And, in this era of advanced technology in which all things are possible, individuals from all walks can contribute to a peaceful world in which every person can pursue their God-given potential.

One public-private initiative, one in which I have a personal stake, is the One Woman Initiative. which funds grassroots organizations empowering women in countries with large Muslim populations. In existence for just one year, the Initiative is a unique partnership with USAID and the United States State Department and is focused on justice, opportunity and leadership for women.

I highlight this effort to underscore key elements that must be part of any next steps and solutions that follow our President’s speech.

First, we must involve and empower women. It is an indisputable fact-if we are concerned about solving the most pressing problems of our time-poverty, disease, illiteracy, and conflict-we must engage women.

Second, we must make the best use of technology to communicate, to engage, to network, to give voice to diverse people of different faiths and cultures, but who all seek the fundamental right to fulfill their God given potential in peace. We must be catalysts for change, not only nation to nation, but person to person, woman to woman, and today this is possible through the power of communications technology.

Third, we must not leave the pursuit of peace to governments, but must combine the best of the public and private sectors. Business leaders must join the effort and step up to the challenge of economic development in underdeveloped regions of the world. Many in the business community realize this is not merely doing good, but is good business and a key element of a peaceful and secure world. Transformational diplomacy and enlightened defense policy are built on a strong foundation of diplomatic consistency, strong defense and economic tools often best provided by the private sector when those at the State, Commerce and Defense departments are willing to meaningfully engage.

Finally, women of this country must broaden their focus and offer support to those women in many countries with large Muslim populations who are struggling for the most basic of rights to be protected by law, for the most basic of choices to be covered or uncovered, for the most fundamental pursuits to be educated and lift their families from poverty.

If we can support the efforts of these women, we contribute not only to them, but to the greater cause of a more peaceful and secure world.

[mnbrant]

The woman who writes for the angry arab website is pretty cool. There is support out there for womens issues in the muslim world. There needs to be alot more.

[mav547166]

Women are one of the main reasons that the Islamic world is petrified of the western world. The mere posibility that a woman could have a say in life versus being a baby machine has pushed these people to the brink. The internet, cell phones, and sattelite TV is breaking this religon just like the printing press broke the catholic church not President Obama. Anyway President Obama is considered an infidel because he has forsaken the Islamic faith for Christianity.

[farmerbb]

....."god given potential"....???? Says who ? NATURAL potential, sure. I don't see anywhere that your personal potential, skills whatever come from imaginary sky fairy. Equally possible is they came from the Jolly Green Giant. I find this sort of comment offensive. Keep your religion to yourself, Carly, and out of the faces of others.