Mrs. Laura Bush, A Conversation on Empowering Women in Afghanistan

Learn more about how we cultivate and harness world-class intellectual capital and expertise to solve our clients’ most complex challenges.

What We Do

We harness every resource, insight, relationship, and competitive advantage to drive superior results for our clients.

Serving Clients

Analysis and perspectives on the global economy and markets, from across Goldman Sachs

Insights

Our award-winning podcast features Goldman Sachs leaders on the key issues shaping the global economy.

Goldman Sachs Exchanges

We aspire to be the world’s most exceptional financial institution.

Our Firm

We help entrepreneurs create jobs and economic opportunity through rigorous business education programs, access to capital, and networking.

10,000 Small Businesses

There are many chapters in a career. There is only one Goldman Sachs.

Careers

Start with the best. Apply for an eight-to-10 week program for future analysts and associates.

2025 Summer Internship

"Mrs. Laura Bush, A Conversation on Empowering Women in Afghanistan"

"Mrs. Laura Bush has been a longtime advocate for empowering women to serve as catalysts for change in emerging countries.&nbsp;\r\nThe former First Lady, now serving as chair of the Women’s Initiative at the George W. Bush Institute, discussed&nbsp;We Are Afghan Women: Voices of Hope, a new book highlighting the stories of 28 resilient women and one passionate young man working to help their country move forward. Mrs. Bush was joined by Manizha Naderi, executive director of Women for Afghan Women, whose personal story is featured in the book.\r\nMrs. Bush, on her motivation to help women in Afghanistan:&nbsp;“After September 11, the spotlight turned on Afghanistan and people saw the way women were treated. The very idea of marginalizing half of the population, which is what was going on in Afghanistan, leads to a failed country.”\r\nMrs. Bush, on the importance of civic institutions in a democracy:&nbsp;“We inherited [civic institutions] in the United States – like the independent press and independent judiciary -- and we take them for granted. All these things allow us to have a flourishing economy. And when you look at [the history of the United States], women didn’t get the right to vote until 1920. It took us a very, very long time, which is why we need to be patient with these other countries that are trying to build democracies.”\r\nMrs. Bush, on the increasing awareness around women’s economic empowerment:&nbsp;“Women’s issues are very important to a lot of people who’ve never really thought about women’s issues. And now we know more than ever what women contribute [to society]. If women are involved in the economy, the economy can be much more successful.”\r\nManizha Naderi, on the progress that’s been made in Afghanistan:&nbsp;“Afghanistan didn’t become today’s Afghanistan in 13 or 15 years. It has been 40 years of destruction, [so] it’s going to take at least 40 years, if not more, for the country to be rebuilt. In 2002 when the United States went to Afghanistan, we didn’t have anything. There was no education system. Everything was a blank piece of paper. Now we have millions of girls but also boys being educated. I know Americans are losing patience, saying ‘It has been 14 years and nothing has changed,’ but things are changing. It’s very important to talk about the progress that has been made in the country.”\r\n"

Mrs. Laura Bush has been a longtime advocate for empowering women to serve as catalysts for change in emerging countries.&nbsp;
The former First Lady, now serving as chair of the Women’s Initiative at the George W. Bush Institute, discussed&nbsp;We Are Afghan Women: Voices of Hope, a new book highlighting the stories of 28 resilient women and one passionate young man working to help their country move forward. Mrs. Bush was joined by Manizha Naderi, executive director of Women for Afghan Women, whose personal story is featured in the book.
Mrs. Bush, on her motivation to help women in Afghanistan:&nbsp;“After September 11, the spotlight turned on Afghanistan and people saw the way women were treated. The very idea of marginalizing half of the population, which is what was going on in Afghanistan, leads to a failed country.”
Mrs. Bush, on the importance of civic institutions in a democracy:&nbsp;“We inherited [civic institutions] in the United States – like the independent press and independent judiciary -- and we take them for granted. All these things allow us to have a flourishing economy. And when you look at [the history of the United States], women didn’t get the right to vote until 1920. It took us a very, very long time, which is why we need to be patient with these other countries that are trying to build democracies.”
Mrs. Bush, on the increasing awareness around women’s economic empowerment:&nbsp;“Women’s issues are very important to a lot of people who’ve never really thought about women’s issues. And now we know more than ever what women contribute [to society]. If women are involved in the economy, the economy can be much more successful.”
Manizha Naderi, on the progress that’s been made in Afghanistan:&nbsp;“Afghanistan didn’t become today’s Afghanistan in 13 or 15 years. It has been 40 years of destruction, [so] it’s going to take at least 40 years, if not more, for the country to be rebuilt. In 2002 when the United States went to Afghanistan, we didn’t have anything. There was no education system. Everything was a blank piece of paper. Now we have millions of girls but also boys being educated. I know Americans are losing patience, saying ‘It has been 14 years and nothing has changed,’ but things are changing. It’s very important to talk about the progress that has been made in the country.”

Accessibility Notice:&nbsp;A&nbsp;<a href="/transcript-requests">transcript is available&nbsp;</a>for any video on this page.