A Response from Johnny Isakson

Dear Mrs. Ferdjani: 

Thank you for contacting me regarding the federal funding for international affairs. I appreciate hearing from you and appreciate the opportunity to respond.  I traveled to West Africa in May, 2011, and visited Benin.  I had several productive meetings with government officials, including President Yayi.  It is a beautiful place, and I am thankful for hospitality I was shown there. 

Throughout my service in the U.S. Senate, I have consistently supported effective federal funding for meritorious international programs that strengthen our national security, foster economic and political stability globally, bolster our allies, and fight the spread of disease, terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. On December 7, 2009, I joined 57 of my Senate colleagues in sending a letter to President Obama requesting that his FY2011 budget proposal include funding for international affairs. On July 29, 2010, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved S.3676, the FY2011 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. This legislation would provide more than $54 billion, which is about $2 billion less than President Obama requested for FY2011, but over $5 billion more than the FY2010 enacted funding level. S.3676 expired at the conclusion of the 111th Congress and it will have to be reintroduced during the current 112th Congress. 

On April 14, 2011, I voted for H.R. 1473, the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011. This compromise legislation provides $48.3 billion for international affairs, which is an 11 percent decrease from the Fiscal Year 2010 level. H.R. 1473 passed both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and it was signed into law by President Obama on April 15, 2011. 

While I understand the importance of international assistance programs, I also am very aware that the federal government must be a better steward of your tax dollars. With the increasing deficits and ballooning national debt, every federal program must be scrutinized for wasteful spending. As we discuss the budget for Fiscal Year 2012, I will work to ensure that the United States invests in only the most effective programs, both domestically and abroad. I will work with my colleagues on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations to shape a fiscally responsible international assistance budget. Rest assured that I will keep your thoughts in mind as I work on issues related to foreign assistance. 

Thank you again for contacting me. Please visit my webpage at http://isakson.senate.gov/ for more information on the issues important to you and to sign up for my e-newsletter.

Sincerely,
Johnny Isakson
United States Senator

For future correspondence with my office, please visit my web site at http://isakson.senate.gov/contact.cfm. You can also click here to sign up for the eNewsletter

Benin Court Confirms President's Re-Election

After some chaotic polls, Yayi Boni, who came to office in 2006, has been confirmed by the Benin's constitutional court to be the Presient of Benin for five more years.The court has rejected the appeals of candidates Abdoulaye Bio Tchané and Adrien Houngbédji, who challenged the president's victory in the first round. They were persuaded that they were persistent cases of corruption during the organization of the elections.

Today (the 6th of April 2011), Yayi Boni's term will take effect at 12:00 am.

In 2006, Yayi Boni had pledged to crack down on corruptions but now he finds himself under fire over an alleged Ponzi scheme that left thousands of Beninese without their savings. Let us see what other surprises the people of Benin will discover during his second mandate!

The Court has also asked Boni to present a written declaration of all his assets to Benin's Court of Finances, both at the beginning and end of his presidential term.  

Yayi Boni will face a mulititude of challenges in his second term:  the Ponzi scheme which had exposed last year 2.5 million Beninese who lost their savings; floods which destroyed 55, 000 homes, killed tens of thousands of livestock and affected some 680, 000 people...

Yayi Boni will have to regain credibility of the public. He will need to move forward with infrastructure and development projects to help rebuild our country Benin.

Bonne Chance Dr. Yayi Boni!

PROUD to Vote in Benin

Proud to vote today because I have never seen such democracy in most African countries! Benin is viewed as a rare example of democracy in a region of West Africa better known for coups and dictatorships!

This morning, my husband and I were already lining up at 9am at the CEG Ocean's school garden, ready to vote.

Benin opened polls today (Sunday) for a twice delayed presidential election after a last minute scramble to register hundreds of eligible voters. 

We were all lining up at 9am and by 11am we were already back home. We had to wait 40mn because they ran out of ballot paper!!! I know!!! How come??? Our polling station ran out of ballot papers because of the unexpectedly high turnout. In addition, our polling station opened also with some delay due to the late arrival of election materials including ballot papers and ink. But we were all very calm!

Some 3.5 million voters are expected to vote today to elect a fifth president since the advent of multiparty democracy in 1990. Voting is expected to end at 6pm and the results are not expected before Tuesday. 

Benin: Making School Safe for Girls

"In the West African country of Benin, harassment of girls in school has been commonplace. Approximately half of girls in Benin enroll in school and many end up dropping out because of the hostile environment created by continual pressure for sexual favors from teachers or fellow students. Girls who report sexual harassment often are accused of leading a teacher on and may be forced to drop out of school by parents as a result."

Wible (2004) found that 43 percent of primary and 80% of secondary students in Benin dropped out of school because of sexual abuse.

"In Benin, a small nation on the west coast of Africa, many girls opt out of school because they are sexually harassed by teachers," Neylon said. With no punishment for the men, some girls find it easier to drop out of school. About 50 percent of girls enroll in primary school and a majority of them drop out by secondary school, according to UNICEF. Only 25 percent of Benin women age 15 and older are literate. The Republic of Benin's National Assembly voted July 17 to pass the country's first comprehensive sexual harassment legislation aimed at protecting girls and women in schools, workplaces and in homes, according to the Women's Rights Initiative, a program of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Sexual violence to girls and women in schools is happening all around the world! Very few female teachers work in schools. Consequently, girls are likely to be sexually exploited by their male teachers. 

A study by Rossetti (2001, cited in Davies), found that 67 percent of students in Botswana schools had been subjected to sexual harassment by teachers. Twenty percent of these students were propositioned by their teacher for sex. In Ghana, 13.5 percent of girls in both primary and secondary schools were victims of sexual abuse at school (Brown, 2002). Amnesty International reported that 50 percent of Malawi girls experienced unwanted sexual touching by their teachers or male classmates. According to the World Bank, 8% of school girls from Cameroon were sexually abused by their teachers. A student in Uganda reported that one of her male teachers required that she wash his feet, take water to the bathroom, and when he appeared naked asked her to "help him as a man" (Action Aid).

Teachers need to be trained in sexual harassment, gender equality, and discipline procedures that are respectful of the dignity of women and men. Students must learn about sexual violence, female equality, good communication skills, boundaries and respect of gender differences. 

The schools do not operate in a vacuum! It is a reflection of society's mores and values. Each community should create their own solutions to the problem of gender violence. We have to use the mass media programs on radio, television, town posters, and the Internet. We must listen to students because they have some of the best problem solving capabilities about this issue. A holistic approach, integrating agencies, NGOs, governments, and individuals will give us the chance to get rid of sexual harassment.

We must STOP violence in schools! It is an overwhelming task which will require from us to change the cultural belief systems about patriarchy, masculine hegemony, and girls and women's values in our society.