This is historical material “frozen in time”. The website is no longer updated and links to external websites and some internal pages may not work.

Search form

Dispatches with Dr. Biden: Lusaka, Zambia

Summary: 
Dr. Jill Biden arrives in Lusaka, Zambia, her first stop on a three-country visit to Africa.

Watch on YouTube

On Tuesday, Dr. Jill Biden arrived in Lusaka, Zambia, her first stop on a three-country visit to Africa. Dr. Biden is joined by Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and Catherine Russell, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues.

Dr. Biden’s trip to Africa will highlight the importance of girls’ education and women’s participation in government, the economy, and civil society in accelerating economic development; improving health and educational outcomes; strengthening democratic governance; and fostering peace and security.

Upon arrival, Dr. Biden met with Zambia’s Second Lady, Dr. Charlotte Harland Scott, to discuss the major issues affecting women in the country, with particular attention to education, gender-based violence, health, and economic empowerment. They were joined by government officials to discuss activities that the local ministries are carrying out to empower women and girls.

After that, Dr. Biden visited the Shalom Community School and delivered remarks to underscore U.S. programs and priorities in education, health, and women’s empowerment. As Dr. Biden said, “The United States is committed to making sure girls and young women have the tools they need to not just survive – but to thrive in their communities."

Stay tuned for more as Dr. Biden travels across Zambia, to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sierra Leone promoting empowerment, opportunity, democracy, and peace.