Tahir-Kheli appointed Rice's advisor on women's issues

Washington, Apr 7 (UNI) Shirin R Tahir-Kheli, a Pakistani-American, was appointed Senior Advisor to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Women's Empowerment.

According to an announcement made by the State Department here yesterday, Dr Tahir-Kheli's main focus will be on multifaceted outreach to the women of the Muslim world.

Dr Tahir-Kheli, who has been in public service since the 1980s, will work with the Office of the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.

The empowerment of women is vital to the President's agenda for promoting democracy and freedom. Strengthening the role of women and providing opportunities for them are important elements in economic development as well as social and political progress, a State Department press statement said.

Prior to new assignment, Dr Tahir-Kheli served as the Secretary's Senior Advisor on United Nations Reform.

From 2003-2005, she was Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Democracy, Human Rights and International Operations at the National Security Council.

Previously, she held the position of Research Professor and Founding Director of the South Asia Program at the Foreign Policy Institute of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Dr Tahir-Kheli also served as Head of the US Delegation to the UN Commission on Human Rights in 2001 and as Alternate US Representative to the United Nations for Special Political Affairs from 1990-1993.

From 2001-2003, Dr Tahir-Kheli was a member of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom and served on the National Advisory Council on the Public Service during the years 1992-1993.

In her early years of public service, she served as Director for South Asia (1984-1989) and Director for Political Military Affairs (1982-1984) at the National Security Council and was a member of the Policy Planning Staff at the Department of State from 1982 to 1984.

Dr Tahir-Kheli has a Ph D in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA from Ohio Wesleyan University.

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