U.S. Consulate Sends 19 Pakistani Women to Summer Exchanges in US

Karachi: Nineteen Pakistani women left for United States for summer exchange program, U.S. Consulate said in a statement.

U.S. Consul General Brian Heath greeted 19 Pakistani women prior to their departure for summer exchange programs in the United States. “My sincere congratulations to all of the participants in the Summer Sisters 2016 exchange program,” said Mr. Heath, while thanking partners: iEarn, the U.S. Pakistan Women’s Council and American University. Also attending were iEARN CEO Farah Kamal, iEARN General Manager Saleem Ibrahim, Public Affairs Officer Li Ping Lo and Cultural Attaché Griffin Rozell.

 “As a Summer Sister, you will develop intellectual and leadership skills, while serving as cultural ambassadors for our two nations. All of you have the potential to become leaders in Pakistan and beyond,” said Mr. Heath.
Exchange programs, such as U.S. Summer Sisters, are invaluable experiences for everyone involved, from the participants and professors to ordinary Americans, said Ms. Lo. “Summer Sisters strengthen ties between Americans and Pakistanis, combat stereotypes, and ultimately foster better understanding between our two nations,” she said.

Education, specifically women’s education, is key to a strong, economically stable, prosperous Pakistan, said Mr. Rozell. “Sadly, not only in Pakistan but all over the world, the potential of women and girls all too often goes undiscovered due to prejudice and artificial barriers.  Programs, such as Summer Sisters, represent a concerted effort to eliminate those barriers,” said Mr. Rozell.
About Summer Sisters
The U.S. Pakistan Women’s Council initiated the U.S. Summer Sisters Exchange Program in 2013. The program sends gifted, female Pakistani high school students aged 15 to 18 from disadvantaged backgrounds to study at prestigious U.S. universities for two to eight weeks.
About the U.S. Pakistan Women’s Council
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched the U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council in 2012 to advance women’s economic participation in Pakistan. The Council focuses on women’s education, employment and entrepreneurship. The Council engages leading figures in government, the private sector and civil society in the United States and Pakistan.