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It's no secret that the best way to jump-start a sluggish economy is to invest in women. That's because when women enter the formal economy, they invest their earnings into their families and their communities, pulling both out of poverty. It's also true that the more formal education a woman attains, the more money she earns, thus contributing even more to those around her.For many years now, the United States has been working to advance the rights of women and girls around the world, and to help open wide some of the doors that have kept women from rising within their societies, from advancing to high political office, and from attaining the highest levels of education that lead to better jobs.When it comes to education and employment, women are most severely under-represented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This is true nearly everywhere, but particularly in those regions where women who pursue careers in these fields lack support. And through long experience, we have found that mentoring such women helps improve their chances of success.That is why, six years ago, the United States initiated the TechWomen program, which helps women in these fields living in the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia, to reach their full potential. TechWomen helps them strengthen their entrepreneurial and product development skills, build networks of people in their chosen field, and learn meaningful ways to be an effective resource for young women and girls, and to play an active role in the economic advancement of their home country.In September, the latest group of nearly 90 women from 19 countries arrived in the United States to take part in this year's TechWomen program. These women, already leaders in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields, are collaborating with their American counterparts on specific projects at leading science and technology companies in the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley.Once this year's program ends on October 17th, the women will return home to expand the TechWomen network, collaborate with women who participated in previous years' TechWomen programs, and to conduct workshops for women and girls who have expressed interest in pursuing science and technology-based careers. They will help develop the next class of TechWomen, and create greater opportunities for generations of girls to come.众所周知，振兴疲软经济的最好方法就是对女性投资。原因是，一旦女性在经济中扮演了正式的角色，她们就同时会对各自的家庭及社区进行投资，带动家庭和社区脱离贫困。无可否认，一位女性受到越多的正式教育，就会赚到越多的钱，也就会因此对周围的人奉献更多。多年来，美国一直致力于加强全球妇女和女孩的权利，帮助她们敞开阻隔她们的大门，提升自己的社会地位、政治地位以及获得更好层次的教育，以找到更好的工作。在教育和就业方面，女性在科技、工程和数学方面的参与度少之又少。这是任何地方都难逃的现状，尤其是在那些在各自领域追逐自身事业发展的女性缺乏支持的地区。然而，通过长期的经验，我们发现，指导这样的女性有助于提升她们成功的机会。这也是六年前美国启动“技术女性”项目的原因——该项目能帮助中东、非洲、中亚地区这些领域的女性充分发挥自身的潜力。“技术女性”项目帮助他们增强职业技能和产品研发技能，构筑其领域的人际网络，学习成为年轻女性有效资源的有意义的方法，在各自国家的经济发展中发挥积极作用。今年9月份，最新一批来自19个国家的近90名女性抵达美国，参加本年度的“技术女性”项目。这些女性已然是科技、工程和数学领域的尖端人物，他们正与美国旧金山港湾区和硅谷地区的科技公司进行专项合作。本年度“科技女性”项目将于10月17日圆满结束，届时，这些参加的女性会返回各自的国家，拓展该项目的网络覆盖面，并与此前的项目参加者合作，为在科技领域感兴趣的女性开办研习班。她们会助力下一届“科技女性”项目的开办，并未后来者创造更好的工作机会。Other nations are trying various economic measures to either jump-start their economies or lessen the impact of recessions.其他国家也在努力采取各种经济措施，重新起动经济或缩小衰退的影响。In that case, a sluggish recovery would be more likely.Education is the best way for a nation to invest in the future.Jim is halfway to attaining his pilot's licence.
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