Walmart Statement Regarding Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's Remarks at Today's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Women and the Economy Summit

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- "There is perhaps no single issue more essential to the progress of our world than the progress of women. Secretary Clinton has been a leader in creating that progress, so we appreciate the Secretary's support of our efforts to open market access for women-owned businesses. Our plan to spend $20 billion with these businesses, as well as the work we'll do in factories and on farms to empower women, will help bring about a global marketplace where women's contributions are truly valued.

"The challenge of empowering women is a complex one, and we want to thank Secretary Clinton and Ambassador Verveer for their leadership on this issue. No one can solve this issue alone, but with the continued leadership of the Secretary and others, we will continue to make progress on the critical issue of providing women and girls the tools they need to succeed in life, at home and at work."

--- Leslie Dach, Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Walmart

*Editor's Note: Secretary Clinton made her remarks during a keynote address at the APEC Women and the Economy Summit this morning in San Francisco.

Background:

Walmart's Global Women's Economic Empowerment Initiative:

On Sept. 14, 2011, Walmart announced a major global initiative to help empower women economically across its supply chain. Over the next five years, Walmart will lead an effort with specific goals to open markets for women-owned businesses and increase training and career opportunities for women on farms and in factories.  The goals were developed with NGOs and other partners and are designed to leverage the company's size and scale to help women and their families live better. Like its work on sustainability, hunger and healthier foods, this initiative is another step forward in the company's commitment to leading on social issues. For more information on this initiative, please visit www.walmartstores.com/women.

APEC:

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation's (APEC) Women and the Economy Summit (WES) is being held this week in San Francisco. The United States is one of 21 member economies of APEC, whose primary goal is to support sustainable economic growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.

About Walmart

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at over 9,600 retail units under 69 different banners in 28 countries. With fiscal year 2011 sales of $419 billion, Walmart employs 2.1 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://walmartstores.com and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.

SOURCE Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.