Western Hemisphere: Ambassador Catherine M. Russell Travels to Chile and Guatemala, October 19-23

Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Catherine Russell will travel to Santiago, Chile, October 19-21, to address the second annual conference of the Women Entrepreneurs in the Americas (WEAmericas) Network. Launched at the Summit of the Americas in 2012 by President Obama, the WEAmericas initiative aims to advance women’s entrepreneurship and economic participation throughout Latin America and the Caribbean by reducing barriers and increasing opportunities for women to start and grow small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) and expand business networks. The initiative leverages public-private partnerships and encourages inclusive economic growth in the Western Hemisphere. Ambassador Russell will deliver the plenary address on October 20. Ambassador Russell will meet with Chilean Minister of the National Service for Women Claudia Pascual and representatives of the government of Chile’s gender unit. While in Santiago, the Ambassador will also visit the Peace Park at Villa Grimaldi and meet with alumni from the State Department’s ECA Museums Connect project on Girl Ambassadors for Human Rights to highlight the importance of promoting the rights and status of women and girls to U.S. foreign policy.

On October 21, Ambassador Russell will continue on to Guatemala to speak with interlocutors about the violence and lack of economic opportunity affecting women and girls, a contributing factor to the undocumented migration of adults and unaccompanied children. On October 22, she will meet with Guatemalan officials, including law enforcement representatives, and civil society leaders in the capital to discuss cooperation on prevention and response to gender-based violence and trafficking in persons. While in Guatemala, Ambassador Russell will also meet with local officials and indigenous women in the town of Chichicastenango.

For further information contact SGWI_PA@state.gov or visit the Office of Global Women’s Issues website at http://www.state.gov/s/gwi/ and follow AmbRussell on Twitter @S_GWI.