Women's Global Development and Prosperity Act of 2020
This bill provides statutory authority for the Women's Global Development and Prosperity Initiative at the Department of State. The objectives of the initiative shall be to advance women in the workforce, promote women entrepreneurs, and aid women's participation in the global economy.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6117 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6117
To promote the empowerment, development, and prosperity of women
globally, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 5, 2020
Mr. McCaul (for himself, Mrs. Wagner, Ms. Houlahan, and Ms. Frankel)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To promote the empowerment, development, and prosperity of women
globally, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Women's Global Development and
Prosperity Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE WOMEN'S GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPERITY
INITIATIVE.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall establish an office
for the Women's Global Development and Prosperity Initiative (W-GDP)
under the office established in section 6(a) to lead and coordinate
efforts related to the objectives set forth in subsection (b).
(b) Objectives.--The W-GDP Initiative should be based on the
following three pillars:
(1) Women prospering in the workforce.--Advance women in
the workforce by improving access to quality vocational
education and skills training, enabling women to secure jobs in
their local economies.
(2) Women succeeding as entrepreneurs.--Promote women's
entrepreneurship and increase access to capital, markets,
technical assistance, and mentorship.
(3) Women enabled in the economy.--Identify and reduce the
legal, regulatory, and social barriers, including
disproportionate burdens of unpaid care, gender-based violence
and abuse, and underinvestment in education, that constrain
women's full and free participation in the global economy and
promote improved practices.
(c) Sense of Congress on Enabling Women in the Economy.--It is the
sense of Congress that, recognizing the breadth of work necessary to
address the overall enabling environment and supporting efforts related
to the third pillar set forth under subsection (b)(3), it should be the
policy of the United States to ensure that the United States Government
promotes the following five types of foundational legal reforms:
(1) Accessing institutions.--Lifting barriers that prevent
women from fully participating in the work force, ensuring
women's authority to sign legal documents such as contracts and
court documents, and addressing unequal access to courts and
administrative bodies for women, whether officially, through
lack of proper enforcement, or through the unequal access of
education that may prevent women's literacy.
(2) Building credit.--Ensuring women's equal access to
credit and capital to start and grow their businesses, and
prohibiting discrimination in access to credit on the basis of
gender or marital status.
(3) Owning and managing property.--Lifting restrictions on
women's possessing and managing property, including limitations
on inheritance and the ability to transfer, purchase, or lease
property.
(4) Traveling freely.--Addressing constraints on women's
freedom of movement, including restrictions on obtaining
passports on the basis of gender.
(5) Removing restrictions on employment.--Eliminating
barriers that limit working hours, occupations, or tasks on the
basis of gender.
(d) Policy Alignment.--The Women's Global Development and
Prosperity Initiative shall be closely aligned and coordinated with
ongoing United States Government efforts to advance women's empowerment
globally, including requirements under the Women, Peace, and Security
Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-68) and the Women's Entrepreneurship and
Economic Empowerment Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-428).
SEC. 3. LEVERAGING UNITED STATES ASSISTANCE.
The Secretary of State, in coordination with the Ambassador-at-
Large for Women's Empowerment and the heads of relevant Federal
agencies, including those set forth in section 5(b), may work with the
private sector and nongovernmental organizations to leverage public and
private capital to complement W-GDP Initiative programs and related
efforts.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated not less
than $200,000,000 for fiscal years 2021 through 2025 for a W-GDP Fund,
established at the United States Agency for International Development,
with a focus on sourcing and scaling the most impactful programs for
women's economic empowerment and ensuring there is not duplication of
effort with other departments and agencies.
(b) Appropriations Requirement.--Funds authorized to be
appropriated by this section shall only be made available subject to
the availability of appropriations.
(c) Oversight.--Funds authorized to be appropriated by this section
shall be jointly overseen by the United States Agency for International
Development and the Ambassador for Women's Empowerment.
SEC. 5. INTERAGENCY STEERING GROUP AND ADVISORY COUNCIL.
(a) Establishment of an Interagency Steering Group.--
(1) In general.--The President shall establish a steering
group (the ``Steering Group''), with representation from
appropriate Federal departments and agencies, to carry out the
policy goals of this Act. The President shall designate a chair
or co-chairs to lead the activities of the Steering Group in
coordination with the Ambassador-at-Large for Women's
Empowerment.
(2) Membership.--The Steering Group shall include
representatives from--
(A) the Department of State;
(B) the Department of the Treasury;
(C) the Department of Commerce;
(D) the Department of Labor;
(E) the Department of Defense;
(F) the United States Agency for International
Development (USAID);
(G) the Millennium Challenge Corporation;
(H) the Peace Corps;
(I) the United States International Development
Finance Corporation (DFC);
(J) the Inter-American Foundation;
(K) the United States African Development
Foundation;
(L) the components of the executive offices of the
President, including the Office of Management and
Budget, and the Office of the United States Trade
Representative; and
(M) other Federal agencies, as determined
appropriate by guidelines developed by the co-chairs.
(b) Establishment of an Advisory Council.--
(1) In general.--The President may establish a W-GDP
Advisory Council (in this subsection referred to as the
``Council'') to advise the Secretary of State, and others as
appropriate.
(2) Membership.--Members of the Council should be appointed
by the Secretary of State and may consist of up to 16 members
that includes representation from non-governmental
organizations, think tanks, advocacy organizations,
foundations, the private sector, faith-based organizations,
women's organizations, and other institutions engaged in
promoting women's economic empowerment globally.
(3) Functions.--The Secretary of State should call upon
members of the Council, either collectively or individually, to
advise the Interagency Steering Group regarding the extent to
which the W-GDP Initiative is meeting its objectives and any
suggestions for improvements with respect to meeting those
objectives, including implementation challenges and
opportunities.
(4) Federal advisory committee act.--The Council shall not
be subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C.
App.).
SEC. 6. OFFICE OF WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of State should establish in the
Office of the Secretary of the Department of State the Office of
Women's Empowerment. The Office should be headed by an Ambassador-at-
Large for Women's Empowerment, who should be appointed by the
President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The
Ambassador-at-Large should report directly to the Secretary.
(b) Purpose.--In addition to the duties described in this Act and
duties determined by the Secretary of State, the Ambassador should
coordinate efforts of the United States Government as directed by the
Secretary regarding approaches that promote equality and advance the
status and development of women and girls in United States foreign
policy.
(c) Duties.--
(1) In general.--The Ambassador should--
(A) direct activities, policies, programs, and
funding relating to gender equality and the advancement
of women and girls internationally;
(B) work to ensure the integration of gender
analysis into the formulation of policy, programs,
structures, process, and capacities throughout the
bureaus and offices of the Department of State and in
the international programs of other Federal agencies;
(C) direct United States Government resources, as
appropriate, to respond to needs for promoting gender
equality and the empowerment of women in United States
Government foreign policies and international programs;
(D) design, support, and implement activities
regarding--
(i) the empowerment of women
internationally, including for the prevention
of and response to gender-based violence
internationally;
(ii) the policies and goals of the Women,
Peace, and Security Act of 2017 (Public Law
115-68) and the Women's Entrepreneurship and
Economic Empowerment Act of 2018 (Public Law
115-428);
(iii) the Women's Global Development and
Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative as described in
section 2; and
(iv) the reduction of legal, regulatory,
and social barriers that constrain women
worldwide;
(E) ensure that programs, projects, and activities
designed to promote and empower women internationally
are subject to rigorous monitoring and evaluation, and
oversee the development of indicators and standards for
such monitoring and evaluation, with the intent of
using these across relevant Federal agencies;
(F) partner, consult, and coordinate with other
governments, bilateral and multilateral institutions,
nongovernmental organizations, and private-sector
partners, and represent the United States in diplomatic
and multilateral fora as appropriate, to advance the
objectives of this Act;
(G) serve as the principal advisor to the Secretary
of State regarding gender equality, women's
empowerment, and gender-based violence as a foreign
policy matter; and
(H) undertake other relevant duties that the
Secretary of State shall determine, as appropriate.
(2) Information sharing and transparency.--The Office of
Women's Empowerment should, as appropriate--
(A) be the central repository of data on all United
States programs, projects, and activities that relate
to empowering, promoting, including, and advancing
women worldwide; and
(B) produce a full accounting of United States
Government spending on such programs, projects, and
activities not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act.
(d) Service of Current Senior Official.--A senior official with
experience in promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women
and girls, appointed by the President as an Ambassador-at-Large and
confirmed by the Senate for a position that addresses global women's
issues, shall also serve in the Ambassador-at-Large position
established under this section.
SEC. 7. SENIOR COORDINATOR FOR GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT.
(a) Establishment.--There should be established in the United
States Agency for International Development the position of Senior
Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment. The Senior
Coordinator should--
(1) report to the Administrator of the United States Agency
for International Development; and
(2) conduct duties as directed by the Administrator to
promote the purposes of this Act.
(b) In General.--The Senior Coordinator should--
(1) in consultation with the Ambassador-at-Large for
Women's Empowerment described in section 6, coordinate
activities, policies, programs, and funding of the Agency
relating to gender equality and women's empowerment;
(2) work to ensure the integration of gender analysis into
the programs, structures, processes, and capacities of all
bureaus and offices of the Agency as mandated by the Women's
Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act of 2018 (Public
Law 115-428);
(3) design, support, and implement activities led by the
Agency regarding gender equality and women's empowerment,
including for the prevention and response to gender-based
violence internationally;
(4) serve as the principal advisor to the Administrator on
gender equality, women's empowerment, and gender-based
violence;
(5) track and analyze monitoring and evaluation data and
findings on gender equality and women's empowerment programs of
the Agency; and
(6) partner, consult, and coordinate with other
governments, bilateral and multilateral institutions,
nongovernmental organizations, and private-sector partners to
advance the objectives of this Act.
SEC. 8. REPORTING TO CONGRESS.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act, and annually thereafter until 2025, the President shall submit to
the appropriate congressional committees a report that--
(1) summarizes and evaluates the implementation of United
States diplomatic efforts and foreign assistance programs,
projects, and activities to advance the policy objectives set
forth in section 2;
(2) describes the nature and extent of the coordination
among the relevant departments and agencies;
(3) describes the monitoring and evaluation tools,
mechanisms, and common indicators to assess progress made on
the policy objectives of this Act;
(4) describes partnerships and collaborations with the
private sector, including amount of funding leveraged by United
States contributions to support the objectives described in
section 2; and
(5) describes partnerships, consultation, and coordination
being undertaken with other governments, bilateral and
multilateral institutions, and nongovernmental organizations.
SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Agency.--The term ``Agency'' means the United States
Agency for International Development.
(2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate;
(B) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
(C) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House
of Representatives; and
(D) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives.
(3) Gender analysis.--The term ``gender analysis'' refers
to the definition as outlined in the Women's Entrepreneurship
and Economic Empowerment Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-428),
namely to undertake analysis of ``quantitative and qualitative
information to identify, understand, and explain gaps between
men and women''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
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