has championed efforts to help ensure the economic security of women and their families. For example, she has advocated access to microcredit -- small loans made to non-traditional borrowers -- to enable thousands of American women to start their own small businesses. Mrs. Clinton also has supported the Administration’s efforts to increase the minimum wage, promote equal pay laws, and fund legal services for low-income families. She has worked to ensure that bankruptcy reform does not adversely impact women and families, particularly in terms of child support collection. In the Social Security debate she has focused her attention on ensuring that the features of Social Security that are important to women are preserved and strengthened.Advancing Democracy, Civil Society, and Women's Full Participation Around the WorldThe President, with the support and advice of the Secretary of State, often asks the First Lady to undertake overseas missions to promote American values and interests around the world. Since 1993, Mrs. Clinton has visited more than 60 countries as a means to achieve this objective. As America’s foremost ambassador, Mrs. Clinton has taken the message of human rights, social development and empowerment of women around the globe. During her trips abroad, she has advocated for equality in education for girls and boys, meeting the critical health needs of women and children, access to economic opportunity through small loans to start up businesses (microcredit), and ensuring women an active role in the political life of their societies. She and Secretary Albright have advanced these issues as essential to the conduct of America’s foreign policy. The First Lady has also promoted the role of civil society and religious tolerance, particularly in emerging democracies and countries with religious minorities. Mrs. Clinton has led efforts in the Western Hemisphere to improve the well being of children by inauguratin...
