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REMARKS OF MELANNE VERVEER, DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE FIRST LADY, TO THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL WOMEN’S LEAGUE OF AMERICA MAY 24, 1996 Thank you so much. Thank you Iryna Kurowycka for that kind introduction. I am so proud to come before you tonight as a member of the Ukrainian National Women’s League of Americans. I first met Anna Krawczuk at the White House dur ing the visit of President Kuchma. She immediately began to tell me about the UNWLA, and ever since, I’ve come to know better the extensive work of the organiza tion and to respect and admire what you do. I applaud your many services from the generosity of the scholarship fund to the excellent reporting in “Our Life”, which I enjoy reading. I especially want to thank you for the extraordinary contributions you have made to those suffering from the aftermath of the Chornobyl tragedy. It is fitting that Anna Krawczuk and Lydia Chernyk were with us at the White House for the event to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Chornobyl — to remember and to go forward with hope. As President Clinton said in his Chornobyl anniversary message, “As we mourn those who lost their lives at Chornobyl, pray for those who still suffer from its effects, let us renew our solemn pledge: to promote healing, ensure preve- tion and offer hope.” You have asked me to talk about “Women and the New Democracy.” Less than a year ago thousands of women gathered for United Nations Conference on Women and the companion NGO Forum in Beijing. Women from the United States and Ukraine, including some of you here, were there. And I was privileged to be there with the First Lady. Together we worked in Beijing to forge common ground so that we might help bring new dignity and respect to women and girls all over the world, and in so doing, bring new strength and stability to families as well. As our First Lady said, we gathered to focus (and we continue to focus today) on issues that matter most in the lives of women and their families: access to edu cation, health care, jobs, credit, the chance to enjoy legal and human rights and to participate fully in the political life of their countries. We cannot talk about Women and the New Demo cracy without talking about investing in women. Invest ments in women are just as essential to the prosperity and stability of a nation as investments in open markets or trade. Where women lack access to education, health care and economic opportunity, children tend to be less educated, less well nourished and families tend to be less fortunate. Where women are less educated, expe rience has shown the environment is often poorly man aged and democracy remains fragile. If women have a chance to work and earn as full and equal partners in society, their families will flourish. And when families flourish, communities and nations will flourish. What should we learn from this principle of devel opment for Ukraine and other emerging democracies, where today we regrettably are seeing a decline in the status of women? During this time of transition, institutions are under going dramatic changes — restructuring is altering the shape of lives at all levels. Social services are frequently severely strained. As you know, the changes are having a profound effect on the unemployment and poverty rate of women. In Ukraine, women are better educated and trained, yet 70-80% of the unemployed are women. They are the
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