DESCRIPTION

Dr. Don Ritter represented Pennsylvania’s 15th district from 1979 to 1993 in the U.S. House of Representatives. He has long been interested in Afghanistan and was one of the leading congressional proponents of U.S. assistance to the people of Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion and occupation. He continues his effort today via the economic and private sector to find solutions to Afghanistan's problems. He is the Founder and former Chairman of the Washington, D.C.-based Afghanistan-America Foundation and a founder and member of the Executive Committee of the Board of the Afghan American Chamber of Commerce.

He believes that women are playing a major role in Afghan society to move it towards modernity regarding education, business and government affairs. One quarter or the parliament chairs belong to women. After the Taliban regime, 2.6 millions girls are now going to school. Afghan women's presence in business is the key to success. Women are now participating in transportation, logistics, manufacture, clothing design and many other industries in Afghanistan.