Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards offers a reason to be happy about President-elect Obama's nomination of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State:

The selection of Senator Clinton represents an important first step down a new path for American foreign policy -- an enormous shift represented by the selection of a champion of women's health and rights to be in charge of American foreign policy. ...

Senator Clinton understands that improving the status of women is not simply a moral imperative; it is necessary to building democracies around the globe. Improving the status of women is key to creating stable families, stable communities, and stable countries. Women's ability to control the size of their families, regardless of economics, nationality, or culture, has a direct impact on their economic well-being and that of their children. Senator Clinton understands that women's quality of life directly affects the major issues confronting the globe: national security, environmental sustainability, and global poverty. [emphasis mine]

Richards here nicely synthesizes the argument of why a vigorous worldwide defense of women's rights and freedoms must be an integral part of U.S. foreign policy.  In this respect, it will be especially important for Senator Clinton to bring her veteran leadership on women's issues -- an attribute as significant as her substantial foreign policy experience -- directly to her new post at Foggy Bottom.