The
following is the text of Ambassador Martin J. Silverstein´s
speech at the conference “How to Increase the Participation
of Women in Politics."
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
It is a pleasure to be with you today.
Being male, you may wonder
about my sincerity in sponsoring a seminar on the topic
of empowering women in politics. Well, you do not have to
be hungry to want to feed the needy; you do not have to
be black to demand equal rights for minorities; and you
do not have to be a woman to desire equal access and opportunity
for all women.
Empowering women is not a
threat to the status of men. Rather it is a way to insure
that the best and the brightest, no matter what their sex,
have an opportunity to serve our community, our nation and
our world.
A woman’s right to vote
does not translate into full integration into the political
process. It is only the beginning. Running for and winning
elected office is one way to drive the agenda and change
the course of a nation’s history. The very presence
of some of you on this panel attests to progress in Uruguay.
While this progress is laudable, there is more work to be
done.
In the United States, we have
made great strides in leveling the playing field for women,
but we, too, can still do better and we are working at that.
However, we are proud of our achievements to date and we
want to share those strategies and lessons learned with
you.
The United States has declared
one of its foreign policy priorities to be increasing women’s
political participation. This is an essential element in
strengthening democratic institutions. True democracy can
only exist if all members of society can participate actively
in every step of the political process.
We are taking this message around the world through able
spokespersons like Charlotte Ponticelli and through resolutions
at the UN General Assembly.
I want to thank all of our
panelists for taking the time to share their experience
and ideas on how women can become more involved in the political
process. I would also like to thank Charlotte Ponticelli
for her visit to UY. I am a father of three daughters and
the husband of an attorney. I want them to have the same
opportunities I did, nothing less.
