May 4, 2010

Contact: Anu Palan at 202 884 8399  or

May 4, 2010

Women Thrive Worldwide welcomes the vision and direction of the National Security Council (NSC) vision for development document that was published in the media yesterday, entitled, “A New Way Forward on Global Development." The document translates into action President Obama’s campaign pledge to ensure that “development is established and endures as a key pillar of U.S. foreign policy,” and outlines how U.S. foreign assistance programs can be retooled to more effectively reach the world’s poorest citizens and increase global prosperity, security and stability.
 
Known internally as Presidential Study Directive-7 (PSD-7), the Obama Administration’s new draft document reflects many core American values and best practices learned from many decades of doing international development work. Women Thrive applauds this undertaking and welcomes the clear elevation of development within U.S. foreign policy as a third pillar alongside diplomacy and defense. The draft PSD-7 correctly recognizes that development is a “long-term proposition” and commits to creating a National Strategy for Global Development (NSGD) that will be updated every four years; and to basing U.S. development policies and programs on an objective analysis of their impact.  It also recognizes the importance of greater recipient country ownership of development as key to effectiveness, along with a stronger focus on both capacity building and accountability for partner countries.

Institutionally, PSD-7 makes a vital commitment to investing in core development agencies: rebuilding U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as the lead development agency and strengthening the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). It also commits to working with Congress to create and implement this shared vision for development.

Many of themes articulated in the draft document reflect recommendations and concerns voiced by women in developing countries in Women Thrive’s groundbreaking 2009 report, “Time to Listen: Global Women’s Voices on U.S. Foreign Assistance”.  The report, based on a survey of more than 100 women’s organizations in 9 countries and focus groups in five Muslim-majority countries, highlighted that while women appreciate U.S. efforts on global development, the lack of an overarching strategy, the lack of partner country input, and politicization of aid undermine their impact.

Women Thrive believes the draft PSD-7 lays out an important and exciting vision; however, the document missed an opportunity to articulate the importance of investing in women globally as a game-changing approach to international development and to greater effectiveness.  President Obama highlighted this as a key strategy in one of the most important development speeches of his Presidency, delivered in Cairo in June 2009. Women Thrive believes this is essential if U.S. foreign assistance is to have a profound and sustained impact, and anticipates that the forthcoming National Strategy for Global Development will clearly articulate a commitment to gender integration and women’s empowerment across all U.S. development policies and programs.

Women Thrive also encourages the Administration to waste no time in making the final PSD document public and engaging Congressional leadership in rewriting the Foreign Assistance Act. We also urge the Administration to launch the National Strategy for Global Development in time for the President to present this vision at the MDG Summit in September.  Turning the PSD into a National Strategy for Global Development will realize the President’s vision for fostering global stability, reducing poverty and human suffering, and empowering women and men to improve their lives.