Commending the Kingdom of Lesotho

COMMENDING THE KINGDOM OF LESOTHO -- (Senate - March 09, 2007)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. LUGAR. Madam President, I rise today, International Women's Day, in support of this resolution celebrating some of the progress that we and other nations are making in fostering improvement in the status of women. The resolution commends the Kingdom of Lesotho for enacting the Legal Capacity of Married Persons law which elevates the status of married women and provides them with property rights. Prior to this law, married women in Lesotho were considered legal minors, denying them the right to enter into binding contracts or have standing in civil court.

International Women's Day is a day on which we reaffirm the commitment to the struggle by women worldwide for peace, justice, and equality before the law. We also take this opportunity to recognize how far we have come since the first International Women's Day was celebrated in the United States in 1909 when American women were still fighting for the right to vote and a role in the political process.

Today we are able to celebrate the many accomplishments by women worldwide in the areas of health, science, education, and politics. In the past year, we have seen the appointment of our first female Speaker of the House, NANCY PELOSI. President Bush's cabinet now includes a record number of women--Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, and Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters. Women now comprise a record percentage of the 110th Congress, including 16 senators and 71 representatives. Women are gaining seats in parliaments worldwide. For example, last November Lateefa al-Qauod became the first woman to be elected to Bahrain's parliament and became one of the first women to serve in an elected parliament in the Gulf region.

The U.S. is rededicating itself to improving the status of women worldwide. For example, the Millennium Challenge Corporation announced a new policy in December 2006 stating that countries receiving financial assistance would be responsible for extensive planning to ensure that all programs benefit both men and women. This required gender analysis would factor in social, economic, and cultural barriers faced by women and men when engaging in economic activity and would result in better-designed international development projects.

The Kingdom of Lesotho is a small country surrounded by South Africa. Lesotho faces serious challenges--50 percent of the population lives below the poverty line and 23 percent of the population is infected with HIV. Given its commitment to good governance and investment in its people, Lesotho has qualified for financial assistance through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). MCC assistance is pending the finalization of Lesotho's Compact which is expected to focus on improving health care and water resource management.

The MCC helped catalyze the passage of the Legal Capacity of Married Persons law in Lesotho by stressing that potential MCC financing would be more effective if gender equity were addressed. Subsequently, Lesotho passed the Legal Capacity of Married Persons legislation. Under this new legislation, women are considered equal partners in marriage and are able to enter into binding contracts and have a standing in civil court. We applaud the Kingdom of Lesotho for demonstrating such a commitment to justice, equality, and fighting corruption at every level.

The problems faced by women today require a continuation of our commitment to end them. International Women's Day is a day for us to declare our determination to advance the rights of women worldwide, but also to recognize the many accomplishments made by women on a global scale.

http://thomas.loc.gov/