To say pitching American ideals in today's world isn't easy might be an understatement.

But Karen Hughes, who has visited more than 40 countries as undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, said, "it is vitally important that America reach out."

Hughes spoke Friday to a group comprised mostly of women at the 23rd annual Women's Conference hosted by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and his wife, Elaine.

The half-day conference at the Grand America Hotel focused on issues from overcoming domestic violence to breaking the glass ceiling.

During her address and while meeting with reporters afterward, Hughes stressed the importance of public diplomacy in advancing the ideals of opportunity and democracy. She also emphasized that "the women of the world ... are absolutely vital to our success."

A charismatic Texan who once worked in broadcast journalism, Hughes describes her job as the public face of America, as planting seeds. She said it will likely be decades before there are major advances in improving the world's perception of the United States.

"I knew when I took this job we weren't going to change public opinion polls on America at a time of war," she said.

But, she said, the first step is turning global public opinion against "those who want to kill us," and she said progress is being made on that point.

"We are making headway in exposing terrorists for who they are, that is essentially a death cult," she said. "Most of their victims are innocent Muslims."

She used her presentation to stress some of the positive aspects of the Bush administration's foreign policy, including the effort to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa and a program that taught English to youths in the Middle East.

She pointed to a 13-year-old girl in Afghanistan who told her she wanted to write a book some day. The girl told her that women should be free to go to work and school and choose their own husbands.

Yet, events such as the opening of a new school aren't as likely to make headlines as are bombings, she said. And, "Any negative news makes my job more difficult."

There are plenty of negative headlines going around, from images of prisoner torture to the more recent shooting deaths of civilians in Iraq by Blackwater USA security personnel.

Hughes points out that the prisoner torture was a crime that has been punished and that the Blackwater incident is under investigation.

Another controversial issue, the administration's stand defending controversial interrogation techniques, described by many as torture, is often at the center of public attention.

Of an open letter by documentary producer Sidney Blumenthal calling on Hughes to persuade the administration to change its policy, she suggested it would be more appropriate to address such a letter to "our opponents" who are "beheading people."