Council on Women and Girls Friday Highlights

Welcome to the Council on Women and Girls Weekly Highlights! This week, Dr. Biden traveled to Kenya where relief operations are underway to help the thousands of refugees affected by the devastating famine in Somalia. Visiting with women and children at the Dadaab Refugee Complex, Dr. Biden – joined by former U.S. Senator Bill Frist, USAID Administrator Raj Shah, Assistant Secretary of State Eric Schwartz, and Special Assistant to the President Gayle Smith– witnessed firsthand the effects of one of worst droughts in 60 years and the resulting famine in Somalia. 29,000 children under the age of five have died in the past three months and more than 12 million people across the Horn of Africa are in urgent need of care.

President Obama visited an advanced battery manufacturing plant  in Holland, MI to highlight the key role that innovative technologies will play in the future of the U.S. auto industry.  He sympathized with the frustration Americans are feeling over the inaction in Washington, and acknowledged that partisan politics are getting in the way of our nation’s ability to create jobs and erase the legacy of debt that is hanging over the economy. “President Obama urged Americans to use the current Congressional break as an opportunity to talk to their Representatives and tell them to take the necessary steps to grow our economy.

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Advancing the Lives of Young Women Through Mentorship

Providing Our Schools Relief from No Child Left Behind

President Obama on Common Sense Steps to Grow the Economy

President Obama: There’s Something Wrong with our Politics that We Need to Fix

West Wing Week 8/11/2011 or "Made in America"

 Avra Siegel is the Deputy Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls.