Equal Rights and Access for the Women of South Sudan Act
This bill requires that activities carried out by the United States in South Sudan relating to governance, post-conflict reconstruction and development, police and military training, or refugee relief and assistance support the human rights of women and their full political, social, and economic participation.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 242 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 242
To require that activities carried out by the United States in South
Sudan relating to governance, reconstruction and development, and
refugee relief and assistance support the basic human rights of women
and women's participation and leadership in these areas.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 10, 2023
Ms. Jackson Lee introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require that activities carried out by the United States in South
Sudan relating to governance, reconstruction and development, and
refugee relief and assistance support the basic human rights of women
and women's participation and leadership in these areas.
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 ``Equal Rights and Access for the
Women of South Sudan Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Despite the 2011 referendum for secession that
established the independent state of South Sudan, South
Sudanese women continue to experience brutal violation of their
human rights.
(2) Strong and continued United States support can ensure
that the advances made by South Sudanese women since July 2011
when the Republic of South Sudan gained its independence will
continue and grow, rather than recede.
(3) The United States has made a substantial contribution
to the emergency relief and humanitarian efforts for South
Sudan. Completing the United States mission in South Sudan will
also require significant and long-term investments in
development and reconstruction assistance.
(4) An inadequate healthcare system has resulted in high
maternal and infant mortality rates. The maternal mortality
rate is 1,054 deaths per 100,000 live births, making it one of
the highest in the world.
(5) South Sudan faces many difficulties with its lack of
infrastructure and lacks significant human development factors,
which can further marginalize women.
(6) Over 80 percent of women and girls in South Sudan are
illiterate, and thus it is imperative to both secure and inform
women's rights within the national development.
(7) With the assistance of internal aid and the
proliferation of local women's organizations, women's equality
can be integrated into South Sudan's nation-building efforts.
(8) South Sudan has made gains in incorporating women into
the new regime with efforts such as inclusion in the
legislative assembly, thus additional support from the United
States serves to reinforce these ideals and implementations.
(9) The women of South Sudan are taking the initiative to
reach across the conflict divide and foster peace. Women's
perspectives and experiences in seeking solutions to conflicts
are necessary to ensure lasting peace.
(10) Adequate security in both urban and rural areas,
particularly on military borders, is essential if women and
girls are to exercise their human rights, work, attend school,
and otherwise participate in and benefit from humanitarian and
development programs sponsored by the United States.
SEC. 3. REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO UNITED STATES ACTIVITIES RELATING TO
SOUTH SUDAN.
(a) In General.--Activities described in subsections (b) through
(e) that are carried out by the United States in South Sudan shall
comply with the applicable requirements contained in such subsections.
(b) Governance of South Sudan.--With respect to the governance of
South Sudan, the applicable requirements are the following:
(1) Include the perspectives and advice from South Sudanese
women's organizations, networks, and leaders in United States
policymaking related to the governance of South Sudan.
(2) Promote the inclusion of a significant number of women
in the National Legislature and future legislative bodies to
ensure that women's full range of human rights are included and
upheld in any constitution or legal structures of South Sudan.
(3) Promote the continuation and strengthening of the
rights of women as the South Sudan Government transitions to a
long-term government structure, and encourage the appointment
of women to high-level positions within South Sudanese
Government.
(c) Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development.--With respect to
activities relating to post-conflict stability in South Sudan, the
applicable requirements are the following:
(1) Ensure that a significant portion of United States
development, humanitarian, and relief assistance is channeled
to local and United States-based South Sudanese organizations,
particularly South Sudanese women's organizations. Provide
technical assistance, training, and capacity-building for local
organizations to ensure that United States-funded efforts will
be both effective and sustainable.
(2) Encourage United States organizations that receive
funds authorized by this Act to partner with or create South
Sudanese-led counterpart organizations and provide these
organizations with significant financial resources, technical
assistance, and capacity building.
(3) Provide direct financial and programmatic assistance to
the Ministry of Women's Affairs adequate to ensure that the
Ministry is able to fulfill its mandate.
(4) Promote multiyear women-centered economic development
programs, including programs to assist widows, female heads of
household, women in rural areas, and disabled women.
(5) Increase women's access to or ownership of productive
assets such as land, water, agricultural inputs, credit, and
property.
(6) Provide long-term financial assistance for primary,
secondary, higher, nontraditional, and vocational education for
South Sudanese girls, women, boys, and men.
(7) Provide financial assistance to build the health
infrastructure and to deliver high-quality comprehensive health
care programs, including primary, maternal, child,
reproductive, and mental health care.
(8) Integrate education and training programs for former
combatants with economic development programs to encourage
their reintegration into society and to promote post-conflict
stability.
(9) Provide assistance to rehabilitate children affected by
the conflict, particularly child soldiers.
(10) Support educational efforts to increase awareness with
respect to landmines, facilitate the removal of landmines, and
provide services to individuals with disabilities caused by
landmines.
(11) Include programs to prevent trafficking in persons,
assist victims, and apprehend and prosecute traffickers in
persons.
(d) South Sudanese Military and Police.--With respect to training
for military and police forces in South Sudan, the applicable
requirements are the following:
(1) Include training on the protection, rights, and the
particular needs of women and emphasize that violations of
women's rights are intolerable and should be prosecuted.
(2) Encourage such trainers who will carry out the
activities in paragraph (1) to consult with women's
organizations in South Sudan to ensure that training content
and materials are adequate, appropriate, and comprehensive.
(e) Relief, Resettlement, and Repatriation of Refugees and the
Internally Displaced.--With respect to the relief, resettlement, and
repatriation of refugees and internally displaced in South Sudan, the
applicable requirements are the following:
(1) Take all necessary steps to ensure that women refugees
and internally displaced in camps, urban areas, and villages
are directly receiving food aid, shelter, relief supplies, and
other services from United States-sponsored programs.
(2) Take all necessary steps to ensure that women refugees
in camps, urban areas, and villages are accessing high-quality
health and medical services, including primary, maternal,
child, and mental health services.
(3) Take all necessary steps to ensure that women and
children in refugee camps are protected from sexual
exploitation.
(4) Take all necessary steps to ensure refugees and
internally displaced persons that seek to return to their place
of origin can do so voluntarily, safely, and with the full
protection of their rights. United States-sponsored efforts
shall not coerce refugees or internally displaced persons to
return to their places of origin.
SEC. 4. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and
annually thereafter, the President shall prepare and transmit to
Congress a report that contains documentation of the progress in
implementing the requirements of section 3. All data shall be
disaggregated by sex.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line