Speeches

Friday, August 5, 2016 - 10:15am

Thinking beyond yourself and your own experiences will not only make you a more effective changemaker, it will also teach you the value of diversity. And in that regard we have a lot to learn from this institution, which has been a pioneer for diversity since it was founded in 1867. Over the years, Howard University has committed to empowering people through education and service, and to amplify diverse voices and perspectives. So I just want to say again that I’m thrilled to receive this honor, but I am just as thrilled to receive it here at Howard University.

Friday, August 5, 2016 - 4:30am

Nuôi dưỡng một cộng đồng những người làm khoa học cởi mở và đa dạng để tận dụng những kinh nghiệm và quan điểm độc đáo từ nhiều người khác nhau là bước đi cần thiết để hiện thực hóa các mục tiêu phát triển. Nam và nữ thanh niên có thể đổi mới và sáng tạo theo cách khác nhau. Nhưng bằng cách tập hợp những quan điểm khác nhau này, Việt Nam có thể xây dựng một nền tảng vững chắc hơn cho sự phát triển của doanh nghiệp. Tuy nhiên, dù trong lĩnh vực giáo dục hay nhân lực, tỷ lệ phụ nữ hoạt động trong lĩnh vực STEM giảm mạnh ở những cấp cao nhất. So với nữ giới, nam giới có nhiều khả năng tham gia vào các hoạt động khoa học và công nghệ, công nghệ thông tin, sản xuất, xây dựng, dịch vụ công cộng và vận tải, trong khi phụ nữ tập trung trong các lĩnh vực giáo dục và đào tạo, sức khỏe con người và dịch vụ khách sạn. Trong một số ngành, Việt Nam vẫn còn những thành kiến về giới trong tuyển dụng đối với các lĩnh vực liên quan đến STEM và với các vị trí có mức lương cao hơn. Nhiều trường hợp, người sử dụng lao động vẫn ghi rõ tiêu chí ưu tiên giới trong quảng cáo tuyển dụng và nam giới thường là đối tượng ưu tiên cho các công việc đòi hỏi kỹ thuật và tay nghề cao hơn như kiến trúc sư, kỹ sư, và chuyên gia IT, bất chấp thực tế là hiệu quả công việc của nữ giới trình độ cao thường cao hơn nam giới.

Friday, August 5, 2016 - 4:30am

Fostering an open and diverse scientific community that draws from an array of unique experiences and viewpoints is a necessary step to realizing development goals. Young men and young women may innovate differently. But by bringing together varying points of view, Vietnam can build a stronger foundation around which industry can build. Unfortunately, whether in education or the workplace, the proportion of women in STEM decreases dramatically at the highest levels. Men are more likely than women to be in technological and scientific activities, information technology, manufacturing, construction, utilities and transportation, while women are concentrated in education and training, human health, and hotels. Throughout several industries, Vietnam continues to have gender bias in recruitment in sectors relating to STEM and for positions with higher salaries. In many cases employers still add written gender preference in their job advertisements and men are most often targeted for more technical and highly skilled jobs such as architects, engineers, and IT professionals, despite the fact that the performance of highly qualified women often surpasses that of men.

Tuesday, August 2, 2016 - 5:30pm

At the Summit last month President Obama called on us to continue our critical work to build the next generation of leaders – in Africa and around the world. “Together,” he said, “let’s keep empowering our young people whose energy and enthusiasm and optimism can lift up countries, no matter how tough the circumstances.”

Thank you for that energy. For that enthusiasm. For that optimism. And please know that we will keep doing our part to answer the President’s call. And I know I speak for everyone at USAID, State, and all of our partners when I say that we can’t wait to watch you do yours.

Tuesday, August 2, 2016 - 5:15pm

It gives me great pleasure this afternoon to see all of you together, reflecting on collaborative approaches to building resilience. Indeed, your presence here is a testimony of an inspired, energized and mobilized cross-sectoral team. Building resilience is complex. The wide-ranging activities that form the Partnership for Resilience and Economic Growth (PREG) reflect that complexity.

Thursday, July 28, 2016 - 11:00am

And I’m proud that since the first Saving Lives at Birth Event six years ago – it just feels like yesterday –we have supported the development and scale of over 90 novel technologies and solutions. So we know that this is a model that works. And we’re institutionalizing it so that it’s something that USAID does and the U.S. Government does far into the future.

We’re also committed to continue investing in science, technology, innovation, and partnership across the board. This is something the President directed us to do in 2010 when he signed the first ever Policy Directive on global development. Ironically, there had actually never even been a policy on global development before. But part of it was to make these investments. The Agency has done that, and we’re seeing the world bear the fruit of that, and we will continue.

Thursday, July 28, 2016 - 9:00am

It is my great pleasure to be here to celebrate KHANA's contribution to the HIV response in Cambodia and to launch the new strategic plan for 2016-2020. This event takes place at an important time, especially because of the 2030 global agenda and Cambodia's strong commitment to virtually eliminate new HIV infections by 2025. That’s five years earlier than the global goal!

Wednesday, July 27, 2016 - 6:30am

Building a Smart Grid has become a top priority for India.  Approximately 45 percent of India’s poorest households lack access to electricity and approximately 20 percent of its installed electricity capacity is lost to various technical and commercial inefficiencies.  These combined technical and commercial losses threaten to deplete state finances that are already strained, but also prohibit millions of Indians from living with a stable and reliable power source.

Monday, July 25, 2016 - 2:00am

"Food is the moral right of all who are born into this world."  These are the immortal words of Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, the great American humanitarian and scientist who pioneered the Green Revolution.  As many of you know, in the mid-1960s, Dr. Borlaug teamed up with Dr. M.S. Swaminathan to drastically increase wheat yields in India, helping this country become self-sufficient in food.  Some of my family members, who hail from Punjab, still remember the dramatic impact of the Green Revolution. 

Last week, I visited the statue of Dr. Borlaug, which is just behind the hall where we are meeting today.  It was a powerful reminder of the legacy of this extraordinary human being, who saved tens of millions of lives in the 20thcentury.  I think Dr. Borlaug would be very pleased with the cooperation we are undertaking today.  

Thursday, July 21, 2016 - 12:30pm

A significant challenge to the stability and economic development of the communities living at the border areas of Kenya and Ethiopia is the lack of an adequate marketing infrastructure. An inadequate infrastructure increases the community’s vulnerability to drought by limiting access to markets and basic services and deters the investments needed to expand and diversify the economy.

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