Melanne Verveer: “The scale and enormity of the violence directed at women can't adequately be described.”

During the revolutions, women in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya were on the front lines for freedom, dignity, democracy, and economic opportunity.

I believe that many women woke up with the Arab Spring, and they will not go back to sleep.

These values are strongly supported by the American public, and U.S. law, as I believe all have said, is consistent with the principles set out in CEDAW.

It will be a demonstration to our own women and girls that the United States officially stands behind their advancement at home.