The Hill: We have too much to lose by not investing in women and girls
Rachel Clement and Teresa Casale, policy advocates at the International Center for Research on Women

“…This year’s [White House] budget proposal … and the message it sends about our commitment to the safety and health of those abroad and at home, and to supporting women and girls in particular, is nothing less than alarming. … Women and girls are disproportionately affected by the world’s biggest development and humanitarian challenges. … [T]his year’s proposal for the foreign assistance budget — which like last year proposes a cut of [about] a third — would have deadly consequences for women and girls if enacted. This proposal is on top of Trump’s expanded Mexico City Policy and completely defunding United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), one of the only organizations able to provide maternity care in some of the world’s hardest-to-reach places. … It is worth the penny of every dollar spent by the U.S. government to support girls to stay in school and to help women entrepreneurs, business owners, and small shareholder farmers to become more self-reliant. … Congress should act to ensure that strong investments in women and girls are made and that these are seen as investments with a high return on security, prosperity, and America’s own role on the global stage. There is too much to lose if we don’t” (2/18).