VZCZCXRO3472
RR RUEHIK
DE RUEHUP #0007/01 0081342
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 081342Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4791
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BUDAPEST 000007 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR: EUR/CE JAMIE MOORE, EUR/PGI JIM KUYKENDALL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KWMN PHUM EU HU
SUBJECT: HUNGARY'S ENGAGEMENT ON WOMEN'S ISSUES 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 124579 
     ¶B. BUDAPEST 859 
 
BUDAPEST 00000007  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. Summary. Post employs three basic tools to engage on 
women's issues: outreach by the Ambassador and Embassy staff 
at numerous events; hosting prominent visitors to Hungary; 
and making full use of exchanges and the International 
Visitor's (IV) Program, which yield the most promising 
longer-lasting returns.  Post welcomes thematic support for 
women's empowerment, in particular, programs to support 
women's participation in politics.  End summary. 
 
 
EMBASSY OUTREACH 
---------------- 
¶2. Post supports GOH, NGO, and corporate events that focus on 
key issues for women, including  economic empowerment, 
health, domestic violence awareness, trafficking prevention, 
and gender diversity in the workplace. EmbOffs speak 
frequently at events including the Successful Women-Career 
and Family in the 21st Century conference, the Procter and 
Gamble-organized women's empowerment conference at Pecs 
University, the inauguration of the International Association 
of Women Justices' Hungarian branch, and events for the 
Association for Women's Career Development. 
 
¶3. In recent years, Post has actively promoted the 16 Days 
Campaign to Eliminate Violence Against Women by supporting 
conferences, joining Hungarian government officials on 
outreach activities and speaking to judges. As a result of 
this joint approach, the Embassy incorporated domestic 
violence awareness training into the basic eight-week police 
officer training course at the International Law Enforcement 
Academy-Budapest. Additionally, Post has a close relationship 
with the Trafficking in Persons Task Force in the Ministry of 
Justice and the Gender Equality Office in the Ministry of 
Social Welfare and Labor. 
 
¶4. Post annually supports The Bridge Walk, which is organized 
by Hungary's Bridge of Health Alliance.  This breast cancer 
awareness event, initiated in 2002 by then Ambassador Nancy 
Brinker, entails thousands of supporters walking across 
Budapest's most historical bridge, the Chain Bridge, which is 
doused in pink light. 
 
 
HOSTING PROMINENT PERSONALITIES AND HIGH RANKING VISITORS 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
¶5. U.S. Public Diplomacy Envoy Fran Drescher discussed 
women's health on a highly-rated morning TV show, at the 
nation's premier medical school and hospital and during a 
luncheon with leading businesswomen and media figures. 
Additionally, Ms. Drescher led hundreds of people across the 
pink-lit Chain Bridge during the Bridge Walk event. 
 
¶6. Top White House official Joie Gregor, former Assistant to 
the President for Presidential Personnel, joined the 
Ambassador at  several events to promote diversity and 
women's empowerment. 
 
¶7. Former Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and 
Public Affairs, Karen Hughes, delivered the keynote speech at 
the first Susan G. Komen's Global Advocate Summit. The summit 
attracted breast cancer advocates from 30 countries, five 
continents and 21 U.S. states. 
 
 
U.S. GOVERNMENT EXCHANGES 
------------------------- 
¶8. Annually, Post nominates candidates to participate in U.S. 
Government sponsored exchanges and IVLP programs geared 
toward women's issues.  Last year, Post sent a team of four 
-- a police officer, a prosecutor, an NGO leader and an NGO 
activist -- to a Single Country Program titled "Combating 
Domestic Violence." 
 
 
BEST PRACTICES 
-------------- 
¶9. While all three approaches outlined above are effective, 
the U.S. Government exchanges and visitor programs appear to 
yield a longer-lasting return. One specific example is Post's 
nominee for the International Women of Courage 2010 award, 
former Supreme Court judge Agnes Galajda (Ref B). Following 
her two U.S. government sponsored trips, a Vital Voices 
conference in the  Ukraine and a Women's Justice Senior 
Roundtable in Washington D.C., she returned to Hungary  and 
drafted domestic violence legislation and formed the 
Hungarian branch of the U.S.-based International Association 
of Women Justices. 
 
 
BUDAPEST 00000007  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY 
--------------------- 
¶10. Post welcomes support on the following themes: women's 
empowerment-- focusing on increasing women's participation 
in public life and top business leadership positions; gender 
equality in the home; and combating domestic violence. 
 
¶11. Specifically, Post suggests programs to support women's 
participation in politics. The World Economic Forum's 2009 
Gender Gap Survey listed Hungary at 81 of 134 countries in 
women's representation in political decision making. 
Presently, there are no women in the Prime Minister's cabinet 
and only 42 (11 percent) in Parliament. Since the democratic 
transformation in 1990, women's participation in politics has 
steadily declined. This trend appears likely to continue in 
the upcoming national elections. 
 
¶12. Additionally, Post recommends mentoring workshops for 
working women and entrepreneurs, and education on domestic 
violence and date rape targeted at teenagers. 
LEVINE