The One Campaign + the California Senate Race

The One Campaign asked California U.S. Senate candidates Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina:

How best can the US continue to tackle global disease, poverty, and hunger?

Their responses:

Senator Barbara Boxer: “I strongly believe that alleviating global disease, poverty and hunger is inextricably linked to making real progress in the world. Throughout my career, I have fought for women’s rights. And now I am proud to chair the first-ever Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee focused on improving the status of women and girls worldwide.

Studies have shown that when women and girls have opportunities they will make important contributions to their country’s economic and social progress. According to the World Bank, women and girls reinvest 90 percent of their income in their families, whereas men reinvest 30 to 40 percent. Educating women and girls is one of the most powerful development tools we have.

That is why I am so pleased that the United States has taken the lead in making the advancement of women a central element of its foreign policy. For example in April, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched the Secretary’s International Fund for Women and Girls—a partnership between the public and private sectors aimed at providing resources to those who are working to meet women’s needs worldwide.

The U.S. is not alone in recognizing that the status of women and girls is critical to uplifting a society. In July, the United Nations established U.N. Women—a new U.N. entity that is working to advance women’s rights around the globe.

We must continue to work with our international partners to give women and girls every opportunity to succeed because when women thrive, their societies thrive.

Carly Fiorina: Under bipartisan leadership, our country launched and supported the most aggressive global HIV/AIDS program in the history of the disease, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which has prevented the spread of HIV, contributed to saving the lives of millions around the world, and represented the values and character of the American people.

Additionally efforts to end deaths from tuberculosis, malaria, and hunger, and also assisting in basic schooling for girls have yielded unquantifiable results that will forever alter the lives of generations to come with greater opportunity. Undeniably our global health efforts has created and fostered a more stable and secure world for those living in extreme poverty.

Yet in order to truly tackle global disease, poverty, and hunger, U.S. aid alone is not enough. There is an important role for other nations, private industry and individuals to play in this as well. We need to encourage good corporate citizenship, particularly among those doing business in Africa. Educating Americans about both the problems and solutions they can be part of is also part of addressing these issues in the long term. And, we need to ask our allies in the world to partner with us in these efforts.