In the early months of her tenure, Vice President Kamala Harris stepped on to the world stage to deliver a powerful message: « The status …
In the early months of her tenure, Vice President Kamala Harris stepped on to the world stage to deliver a powerful message: « The status of women is the status of democracy. » « Not only because the exclusion of women in decision-making is a marker of a flawed democracy, but because the participation of women strengthens democracy, » she told the United Nations in March, both highlighting her historic election and reinforcing a Biden administration priority. It’s a message that rings prescient, as the Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan has left women reeling over fears of a return to a repressive regime, and one human rights advocates are hoping Harris will spotlight during visits to Singapore and Vietnam this week. Melanne Verveer, executive director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and a former U.S. ambassador for Global Women’s Issues, said ignoring the chance to speak out for women’s rights would be a « grave omission. » « She is a symbol, and an extraordinarily powerful symbol for the United States, » Verveer said. « To just ignore the reality of this, given her position, would be to not acknowledge the important role she could play in moving this agenda forward. » Harris, who arrived in Singapore Sunday and will visit Vietnam later this week, has so far used the trip to bolster U.S. partnerships in the region to tamp down on concerns over China’s growing military presence. Following meetings with Singapore President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the U.S. announced a series of accords with Singapore on tackling cyber threats, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. The two countries also announced agreements for closer cooperation on trade, defense and space exploration. On Tuesday, Harris is scheduled to deliver a speech from Singapore’s verdant Gardens by the Bay, where she’ll lay out her vision for the Indo-Pacific region and focus on security, partnerships and economic health, according to a White House official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity ahead of the speech. Senior administration officials have emphasized the trip was planned before the Afghan government’s collapse and that the region is strategically and economically important for the U.S. « We can do more than one thing at a time and we’re going to do more than one thing at a time as we focus on these two huge priorities for the United States, » one official who briefed reporters ahead of the trip said on condition of anonymity. During a press conference with Singapore’s prime minister, Harris briefly acknowledged the U.S. commitment to human rights by saying the pair spoke about the role the international community must play in the crisis in Myanmar, where a military coup in February has led to a brutal crackdown on media.
