effectively participating in efforts to carry out these action-oriented recommendations that seek to improve their condition and increase their roles in both public and private life. Beyond calling for expanded access to education and decision-making processes, this Forum can also promote the rights of minority women by encouraging civil society organizations and development agencies to consider the inclusion of a focus on minorities in their projects on women’s social, political, and economic empowerment. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has invested substantially worldwide in giving women a real voice in their communities by working to ensure their power to vote, to reform laws, to receive a quality education, to have maternal care, and to have an opportunity for economic growth. Sixty-seven percent of USAID’s education programs focus on girls’ education. Sixty percent of USAID’s microfinance loans go to women. And nearly one-third of the clients receiving USAID-supported business training are women. These programs improve the status of women and expand opportunities for all women and girls. Programs that provide women opportunities to better their health, education, and well-being have effects far beyond a single individual. A woman multiplies the impact of an investment made in her future by extending benefits to the world around her, creating a better life for her family and building a strong community. As Secretary Clinton has said, “No society can achieve its full potential when half the population is denied the opportunity to achieve theirs.” Guaranteeing the rights of minority women is an important step that will advance the cause of human rights and propel societies around the world toward greater prosperity. Thank you for your partnership on this most important work.