The work of these women doesn't end when they return home from overseas, as one goal of the Peace Corps' mission is to help promote a better understanding of other cultures here in the United States.

When Peace Corps was first proposed, some in Congress assumed that only men would be volunteers.

Those memories of living in a developing nation are part of who I am today and give me a profound understanding of the challenges of economic development - an understanding which will make my tenure as Peace Corps director, I hope, a very special one.

She's learned so much about the region, the political system, the peace process and the relationship between the United States and Israel.

My mother went into the Peace Corps when she was sixty-eight.

As we celebrate Women's History Month this March, it's important to remember the key role women have played in promoting a better understanding and relationships between our country and the rest of the world.