WASHINGTON, 20 May 2005 — First lady Laura Bush left Washington yesterday on a 5-day trip to the Middle East in an effort to highlight women’s empowerment in the region.

In her new and popular role as a public diplomat, Mrs. Bush will visit Jordan, Israel and Egypt. Her trip, announced on Tuesday by the White House, is part of President Bush’s push for democracy in the region and for restarting the stalled “road map” peace process between Israelis and Palestinians.

The first lady’s trip comes at a sensitive time in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Anti-American demonstrations grew violent after a recent report in Newsweek claimed US interrogators in Guant?namo Bay, Cuba, had desecrated copies of the Qur’an.

Mrs. Bush has planned stops that range from a girls’ school in Egypt to the World Economic Forum meeting in Jordan. Her visit is meant to highlight the concern that any elections in the Middle East would be worthless without economic and education opportunities for women.

In Jordan, Mrs. Bush plans to meet with Queen Rania, and then visit a government-financed school and a foundation that helps indigent women find jobs.

Saturday marks the highlight of her trip, when she speaks before the World Economic Forum at the Dead Sea, Jordan, as part of a three-day session entitled “Seizing the Moment.”

On Sunday in Israel, the first lady will meet with the wife of Israeli President Moshe Katsav, but she will not call on Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who visited the Bush ranch in Crawford, Texas, earlier this month.

Mrs. Bush also plans to visit Jericho, which Israel recently handed over to the Palestinian Authority, and will visit Jewish and Muslim historic sties.

In Cairo on Monday and Tuesday, she will meet with Suzanne Mubarak, the wife of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, and will appear on the Egyptian version of “Sesame Street.”

This week the WEF released a report focusing on the “gender gap index, “ which focuses on how women compare with men in five areas: Economic participation, economic opportunity, political empowerment, educational attainment, and health and well-being.

Egypt finished dead last out of the 58 nations surveyed. Jordan finished 55th. Israel ranked 37th.

The United States, meanwhile, placed 17th in a survey dominated by Scandinavian nations. The top five were, in order, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Denmark and Finland, but the report added that no nation has entirely eliminated the gender gap.

The White House also announced this week that Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, will meet President Bush at the White House on May 26.

The visit will mark Abbas’ first visit to the Oval Office as leader of the Palestinian Authority and comes amid renewed hope for revived Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

“The United States remains committed to the vision of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security,” White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters.

The two men will discuss bilateral and regional issues, including Israel’s planned pullback from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, he said.