Focus must be on women, girl front, US official

India and the US must keep focus on women and girls' front to live up to President Barack Obama's declaration that the US-India relationship will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century, a top U.S. official said here today.
"Today, we collaborate on nearly every issue of strategic importance - economic, security, energy, higher education, science and technology - and as our engagement strengthens, we must keep a focus on women and girls front and center," US Department of State's Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia Alyssa Ayres said.
"Only then will we fully live up to the President's declaration that the US-India relationship will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century," she said in her keynote address on 'Sharing best practices for encouraging women in developing countries in ICT', organised by NASSCOM and WeConnect here.

Ayres is leading a women's tech delegation, comprising senior executives from the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector.
She said the US government understands the importance of ensuring that more women have access to the careers and lives they choose. "We will use strategies that work to raise awareness and mobilise resources to promote women in ICT professions, academia, and industry," she said.
The US plans to highlight emerging business opportunities in the field as well as promote use of ICTs as a tool for women entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and networks, Ayres said.
Ayres said, "Obama has emphasised women's empowerment as an essential part of our global outreach strategy and as a critical aspect of our foreign policy."

She said a recent study by Intel "Women and the Web," indicated that women are 23 per cent less likely to use the internet than men in low-to-medium income countries.