The Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues is the

ambassador-at-large An ambassador-at-large is a diplomat, a secretary of state, secretary, or a minister (government), minister of the highest rank who is accredited to represent a country and its people internationally. Unlike an ambassador-in-residence, who is us ...

who heads the

Office of Global Women's Issues The Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues is located within the United States Department of State. In 2009, Melanne Verveer was appointed to be the first Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues. From September 2013 to May, 2017, Ca ...

in the

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy of the United State ...

, with the rank of Assistant Secretary. The position was created by the

Barack Obama administration Barack Obama's tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017. Obama, a Democrat from Illinois, took office following his victory over Republican nomine ...

in 2009. The first ambassador-at-large was Melanne Verveer,Rhee, Foon. Boston.com
Obama nominates ambassador for women's issues
March 6, 2009. Accessed March 8, 2009. who served from April 6, 2009, until she was replaced by

Catherine M. Russell Catherine Mary Russell (born March 4, 1961) is an American attorney and political adviser who is the executive director of UNICEF . Russell was director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, United States Ambassador-at-Large for Glo ...

on May 8, 2013.State Dept. official biography of Catherine M. Russel

Accessed September 24, 2013. The post was vacant from January 20, 2017, until Ambassador

Kelley Eckels Currie Kelley Eckels Currie () is an American human rights lawyer and former government official who served as the Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues from 2020 to 2021. She previously served as the U.S. Representative to the United Nations ...

was confirmed by the Senate and took office on January 14, 2020. Currie left the post on January 20, 2021, and the position was vacant from January 20, 2021, to May 18, 2023. The Senior Official performing the duties of the office during this time was Katrina Fotovat. On May 18, 2023, Geeta Rao Gupta began work as the next Senate-confirmed ambassador-at-large. The Department of State's Office of Global Women's Issues ensures that the rights of women and girls are fully integrated into the formulation and conduct of United States foreign policy. Working with the White House, USAID, the Department of Defense, and other agencies, as well as with civil society and the private sector, the

has launched multiple and wide-ranging global initiatives to promote women's social and economic development, integrate women into peace and security building, address and prevent gender-based violence, and ensure women's full participation in civic and political life. Accomplishments of the Office of Global Women's issues to date include health care and police training to help survivors of sexual violence in the Congo and support for female entrepreneurs in the Americas.

List of ambassadors

References

External links

United States Office of Global Women's Issues

Twitter account, U.S. State Dept , Office of Global Women's Issues
''(@GenderAtState)'' {{US-gov-stub