Laura Bush on Women's Rights in Afghanistan (C-SPAN)

Former First Lady Laura Bush talks about women's rights in Afghanistan in an exclusive interview with CSPAN for its First Ladies series. More information hereTranscript below.

C-SPAN: Laura Bush, did it surprise you at first when you first became First Lady at the platform that you're given and the voice you had?

BUSH: I didn't really -- I knew it. I mean, I knew that, of course. I knew it intellectually because I'd seen my mother-in-law and the platform that she had to talk about literacy which was her particular interest. I'd seen Lady Bird Johnson and how she'd influence me even here at home in Texas because of her interest in native plants.

But I didn't really know it until I made the president's radio address, presidential radio address in that fall of 2001 after the terrorist attack to talk about what- the way women and children were treated by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: Good morning. I'm Laura Bush. And I am delivering this week's radio address to kick off a worldwide effort to focus on the brutality against women and children by the Al Qaeda terrorist network and the regime it supports in Afghanistan, the Taliban.

That regime is now in retreat across much of the country, and the people of Afghanistan, especially women, are rejoicing. Afghan women know through hard experience what the rest of the world is discovering: The brutal oppression of women is a central goal of the terrorists.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: And right after that, I made that -- did the radio address from our ranch. We were at our ranch that weekend and then I went in to Austin where Jenna was a freshman at the University of Texas and Jenna and I went shopping together at the department store and the ladies who sold cosmetics at the department store said thank you so much, Ms. Bush. "Thank you for speaking for the women of Afghanistan."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: Not only because our hearts break for the women and children in Afghanistan but also because, in Afghanistan, we see the world the terrorists would like to impose on the rest of us.

All of us have an obligation to speak out. We may come from different backgrounds and faiths, but parents the world over love their children. We respect our mothers, our sisters and daughters. Fighting brutality against women and children is not the expression of a specific culture; it's the acceptance of our common humanity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: And that's the first time I really realized that people heard me and that what I said, people listen to. And so then I knew from then on. Although I think you don't ever really know intellectually until maybe after you leave and see what the platform is.

But Lady Bird Johnson had that saying that I quoted that she had a podium and she was going to use it and she did.

C-SPAN: Do you think you used yours?

BUSH: I hope so. I tried to use it. I tried to use it. I talked to a lot about women in Afghanistan. I still do. I'm worried now.

C-SPAN: You've traveled over there?

BUSH: I've been there, I went three times while George was president. I'd love to go again. But I'm worried that as we draw our troops down, that their rights which are fragile will be jeopardized.