International Violence Against Women Act of 2019
This bill provides for a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls.
The bill establishes in the Department of State an Office of Global Women's Issues, which shall be headed by an Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues. The Ambassador-at-Large shall (1) coordinate U.S. government efforts regarding gender equality and the advancement of women and girls in foreign policy, and (2) develop or update periodically a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to gender-based violence.
The bill establishes in the U.S. Agency for International Development the position of Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment who shall coordinate policies, programs, and funding regarding gender equality and women's empowerment.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3037 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 3037
To prevent international violence against women, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 12, 2019
Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Ms. Collins, and Mr. Isakson) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To prevent international violence against women, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title; Table of Contents.--This Act may be cited as the
``International Violence Against Women Act of 2019''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Statement of policy.
TITLE I--UNITED STATES STRATEGY TO PREVENT AND RESPOND TO GENDER-BASED
VIOLENCE GLOBALLY
Sec. 101. Global strategy requirement.
TITLE II--OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Sec. 201. Definitions.
Sec. 202. Office of Global Women's Issues.
Sec. 203. Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's
Empowerment.
Sec. 204. Briefing.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) An estimated 1 out of every 3 women throughout the
world will be beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in
her lifetime.
(2) Up to 70 percent of women in some countries report
experiencing gender-based violence at some point in their
lives.
(3) Intimate partner violence is the most prevalent form of
violence against women, preventing them from playing more
active roles in the social, economic, and political development
of their communities.
(4) Sexual violence among adolescents and pre-adolescents
is alarmingly high. National surveys in Swaziland, Tanzania,
Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Haiti have found that between 28 and 38
percent of girls and between 9 and 18 percent of boys report
experiencing sexual violence before reaching 18 years of age.
(5) Adult male respondents in 6 countries who had
experienced violence as children were significantly more likely
to report perpetrating intimate partner violence themselves
according to the International Men and Gender Equality Survey
dataset.
(6) Gender-based violence harms economies and the workers
that fuel them. Despite underreporting, striking statistics
document prevalent forms of gender-based violence globally that
affect the world of work. Worldwide, women are concentrated in
low-wage, insecure jobs in workplaces where they lack
bargaining power, protections against gender-based violence,
safe and confidential reporting systems, recourse to justice,
or access to legal, medical, and psychosocial services.
(7) Women living in poverty are particularly vulnerable to
gender-based violence. Lack of economic opportunities often
compels women to use desperate and dangerous means to provide
for themselves and their families, risking significant exposure
to labor exploitation and sexual exploitation and abuse for
both women and their children.
(8) Country studies indicate that the risk of HIV among
women who have experienced violence may be up to three times
higher than among those who have not experienced violence. The
World Health Organization found that women who experience
intimate partner violence are at more than 50 percent greater
risk of HIV infection, and in some instances their risk of HIV
infection increases four-fold. Women living with HIV are more
likely to experience violence than other women, and fear of
violence can prevent women from accessing HIV/AIDS information
and receiving treatment and counseling.
(9) Addressing gender inequality and gender-based violence
is essential to reducing HIV risk and increasing access to HIV
prevention, care and treatment services for women and men. The
President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) supports
significant work in the field to incorporate efforts to prevent
and respond to gender-based violence into existing HIV
treatment and prevention programs.
(10) Prevalence of sexual and physical violence is higher
among persons with disabilities, particularly for adolescents
and intimate partners with disabilities, and for men and women
with intellectual impairments living in institutions. The World
Health Organization reports that rates of gender-based violence
are between 4 and 10 times greater among persons with
disabilities compared to non-disabled persons.
(11) Displaced, refugee, and stateless women and girls in
humanitarian emergencies, conflict settings, and natural
disasters face extreme violence and threats, including--
(A) being forced to exchange sex for food and
humanitarian supplies; and
(B) being at increased risk of rape, sexual
exploitation, trafficking, and abuse.
(12) Rape and sexual assault against women and girls are
used to torture, intimidate, and terrorize communities. Rape
and sexual assault are used as tools of war in conflict zones,
including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Syria,
Afghanistan, Colombia, and South Sudan.
(13) Child and forced marriage--
(A) is a harmful practice that deprives girls and
women of their dignity and rights and creates barriers
to development for communities and countries;
(B) is projected to affect more than 140,000,000
girls around the world who have been or will be forced
into marriage between 2011 and 2020;
(C) can prematurely end girls' education, increase
vulnerability to gender-based violence, and
significantly raise the risk of maternal and infant
morbidity or mortality, including the risk of obstetric
fistula and sexually transmitted diseases, including
HIV/AIDS; and
(D) is perpetuated by poverty, a lack of
educational or employment opportunities for girls, a
lack of legal policies and enforcement of laws, and
religious, cultural, and social factors related to
girls' perceived lack of value, factors which become
particularly acute in conflict and disaster settings
where fears of sexual violence and overstretched coping
mechanisms often drive child and forced marriage.
(14) The harmful practice of female genital mutilation/
cutting (FGM/C) is carried out most often on girls between
infancy and 15 years of age and has impacted more than
125,000,000 girls and women around the world who are alive
today. FGM/C can cause long-term health problems, including
infertility, complications in childbirth, and increased risk of
newborn deaths.
(15) World Bank data shows that gender inequality directly
corresponds to increased levels of political and economic
instability within states. Gender-based violence impedes
women's meaningful participation in social, political, and
economic spheres, which is essential to the stability and
democratization of a country. Since women disproportionately
experience gender-based violence during conflict and post-
conflict reconstruction, they can play a pivotal role in
preventing, mitigating, and resolving conflict, and countering
extremism.
(16) Gender-based violence is a contributing factor to
human trafficking. Experts in the field have reported that
women and girls who have experienced gender-based violence and
live in societies that tolerate severe gender discrimination
appear to be more vulnerable to being trafficked. Comprehensive
efforts to reduce human trafficking must include efforts to
prevent and respond to gender-based violence due to the
intertwined relationship of the two crimes.
(17) Faith-based organizations and faith leaders are key
partners in the ongoing efforts to prevent and respond to
gender-based violence. When properly engaged and equipped with
knowledge and resources, such organizations and leaders can
play a significant part in changing behaviors and norms and
reducing gender-based violence. Particularly in countries that
lack effective legal frameworks to address gender-based
violence, such faith-based organizations and faith leaders have
the standing and authority to address harmful practices, such
as child marriage, intimate partner abuses, and acid throwing.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States--
(1) to take effective action to prevent and respond to
gender-based violence around the world as a matter of basic
human rights and to promote gender equality, economic growth,
and improved public health;
(2) to systematically integrate and coordinate efforts to
prevent and respond to gender-based violence internationally
into United States foreign policy and foreign assistance
programs, including peace-building efforts and humanitarian
relief and recovery;
(3) to support and build local capacity in developing
countries, including the capacity of governments at all levels,
nongovernmental organizations, especially women-led
organizations, to prevent and respond to gender-based violence;
(4) to consult, cooperate, coordinate, and collaborate with
a wide variety of nongovernmental partners with demonstrated
experience in preventing and responding to gender-based
violence, including faith-based organizations and women-led
organizations;
(5) to employ a multisectoral approach to preventing and
responding to gender-based violence internationally, including
activities in the economic, education, health, nutrition,
legal, and judicial sectors;
(6) to work at all levels, from the individual to the
family, community, local, national, and international levels,
to prevent and respond to gender-based violence around the
world;
(7) to enhance training by United States personnel of
professional foreign military and police forces, judicial
officials, and other public justice system officials, including
prosecutors, including specific and thorough instruction on
preventing and responding to gender-based violence around the
world;
(8) to engage men and boys as partners, as an essential
element of making sustained reductions in gender-based
violence;
(9) to include the prevention of child and forced marriage
as an important part of United States Government efforts to
prevent violence against girls and promote gender equality and
global health;
(10) to require that all United States contractors and
grantees establish appropriate policies and take effective
measures to prevent gender-based violence and sexual
exploitation and abuse, including within the workforce;
(11) to exert sustained international leadership to prevent
and respond to gender-based violence, including in bilateral
and multilateral fora; and
(12) to implement a strategy to prevent and respond to
gender-based violence globally.
TITLE I--UNITED STATES STRATEGY TO PREVENT AND RESPOND TO GENDER-BASED
VIOLENCE GLOBALLY
SEC. 101. GLOBAL STRATEGY REQUIREMENT.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and every 4 years thereafter, the Ambassador-at-
Large for Global Women's Issues at the Department of State appointed
pursuant to section 201 (referred to in this section as the
``Ambassador-at-Large''), in consultation with the Senior Coordinator
for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment at the United States Agency
for International Development appointed pursuant to section 202
(referred to in this section as the ``Senior Coordinator''), shall--
(1) develop or update, in consultation with civil society,
including service providers, a United States global strategy to
prevent and respond to gender-based violence, using evidence-
based interventions and standards that address the root causes
of, and provide comprehensive responses to, gender-based
violence;
(2) submit the strategy under paragraph (1) to the
appropriate congressional committees for comment and review;
and
(3) make the strategy publicly available on the internet.
(b) Initial Strategy.--For the purposes of this section, an
existing United States strategy to prevent and respond to gender-based
violence may be deemed to fulfill the initial requirement under
subsection (a).
(c) Collaboration and Coordination.--In developing the strategy
under subsection (a), the Ambassador-at-Large and the Senior
Coordinator shall consult with--
(1) the heads of relevant Federal agencies;
(2) the Senior Policy Operating Group on Trafficking in
Persons; and
(3) representatives of civil society, including
nongovernmental organizations, faith-based organizations,
multilateral organizations, local and international civil
society groups, and local service providers and beneficiaries
with demonstrated experience in addressing gender-based
violence or promoting gender equality internationally.
(d) Use of Funds.--Amounts appropriated or otherwise made available
to carry out the activities under this section shall be subject to all
applicable restrictions under Federal law.
(e) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed
to authorize any additional appropriations to carry out the strategy
under subsection (a).
TITLE II--OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY
SEC. 201. DEFINITIONS.
In this title:
(1) Agency.--The term ``Agency'' means the United States
Agency for International Development.
(2) Ambassador.--The term ``Ambassador'' means the
Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues appointed by the
President pursuant to section 202(a).
(3) 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.
(4) Gender analysis.--The term ``gender analysis''--
(A) means a socioeconomic analysis of available or
gathered quantitative and qualitative information to
identify, understand, and explain gaps between men and
women, which typically involves examining--
(i) differences in the status of women and
men and differential access to and control over
assets, resources, education, opportunities,
and services;
(ii) the influence of gender roles,
structural barriers, and norms on the division
of time between paid, unpaid work (including
the subsistence production and care for family
members), and volunteer activities;
(iii) the influence of gender roles,
structural barriers, and norms on leadership
roles and decision making; constraints,
opportunities, and entry points for narrowing
gender gaps and empowering women; and
(iv) potential differential impacts of
development policies and programs on men and
women, including unintended or negative
consequences; and
(B) includes conclusions and recommendations to
enable development policies and programs--
(i) to narrow gender gaps; and
(ii) to improve the lives of women and
girls.
(5) Office.--The term ``Office'' means the Office of Global
Women's Issues established by the Secretary of State pursuant
to section 202(a).
(6) Senior coordinator.--The term ``Senior Coordinator''
means the Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's
Empowerment at the Agency.
SEC. 202. OFFICE OF GLOBAL WOMEN'S ISSUES.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of State shall establish in the
Office of the Secretary of the Department of State the Office of Global
Women's Issues. The Office shall be headed by an Ambassador-at-Large
for Global Women's Issues, who shall be appointed by the President, by
and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Ambassador shall
report directly to the Secretary and shall have the rank and status of
Ambassador-at-Large.
(b) Purpose.--In addition to the duties described in subsection (c)
and duties determined by the Secretary of State, the Ambassador shall
coordinate efforts of the United States Government as directed by the
Secretary regarding approaches that promote equality and advance the
status of women and girls in United States foreign policy.
(c) Duties.--
(1) In general.--The Ambassador--
(A) in consultation with the Senior Coordinator,
shall direct activities, policies, programs, and
funding relating to gender equality and the advancement
of women and girls internationally, including those
intended to prevent and respond to gender-based
violence, for all bureaus and offices of the Department
of State;
(B) shall actively promote and advance the
integration of gender analysis into the programs,
structures, processes, and capacities of bureaus and
offices of the Department of State and in the
international programs of other Federal agencies;
(C) shall 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, including to prevent and
respond to gender-based violence internationally;
(D) may design, support, and implement activities
regarding empowerment of women internationally,
including for the prevention of and response to gender-
based violence internationally;
(E) shall conduct regular consultation with civil
society organizations working to prevent and respond to
gender-based violence internationally;
(F) shall ensure that programs, projects, and
activities designed to prevent and respond to gender-
based violence internationally are subject to rigorous
monitoring and evaluation, and that there is a uniform
set of indicators and standards for such monitoring and
evaluation that is used across all Federal agencies;
(G) shall 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) is authorized to represent the United States in
diplomatic and multilateral fora on matters relevant to
the status of women and girls, including gender-based
violence internationally.
(2) Information sharing and transparency.--The Office--
(A) shall be the central repository of data on all
United States programs, projects, and activities that
relate to prevention and response to gender-based
violence around the world; and
(B) shall produce a full accounting of United
States Government spending on such programs, projects,
and activities.
SEC. 203. SENIOR COORDINATOR FOR GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN'S
EMPOWERMENT.
(a) Establishment.--There is established in the Agency the position
of Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment. The
Senior Coordinator shall--
(1) report to the Administrator of the Agency; and
(2) conduct duties as directed by the Administrator to
promote the purposes of this Act.
(b) In General.--The Senior Coordinator--
(1) in consultation with the Ambassador, shall coordinate
activities, policies, programs, and funding of the Agency
relating to gender equality and women's empowerment, including
those intended to prevent and respond to gender-based violence;
(2) shall actively promote and advance the integration of
gender analysis into the programs, structures, processes, and
capacities of all bureaus and offices of the Agency as dictated
by the Agency's Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy;
(3) shall coordinate Agency resources for gender equality
and women's empowerment, including to prevent and respond to
gender-based violence internationally;
(4) may 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;
(5) shall conduct regular consultation with civil society
organizations working to prevent and respond to gender-based
violence internationally;
(6) shall serve as the principal advisor to the
Administrator regarding gender equality, women's empowerment,
and gender-based violence; and
(7) shall track and analyze monitoring and evaluation data
and findings on international prevention and response programs
of the Agency, consistent with Agency-wide monitoring and
evaluation activities, to assist in the preparation of the
comprehensive strategy developed under section 101(a).
SEC. 204. BRIEFING.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act, and annually thereafter, the Ambassador and the Senior Coordinator
shall provide, to the appropriate congressional committees--
(1) a briefing on international gender-based violence
prevention and response strategies, programming, and associated
outcomes; and
(2) an assessment of human and financial resources
necessary to fulfill the purposes and duties under this Act.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
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