At the OSCE, the United States works to keep human rights – including women’s rights, gender equality, and the status of women and girls – at the top of the agenda.  I’m proud to join the Vienna Chapter of International Gender Champions as a founding member, not only because the full participation of women and girls in the political, economic, and social lives of their countries is a U.S. foreign policy priority, but because we know that by encouraging women’s participation and reducing gaps between women and men and girls and boys in terms of resources and opportunities – including within international organizations -- we can ensure better outcomes for our governments and our societies.