[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 426 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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115th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 426
Supporting the goals of International Women's Day.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 8, 2018
Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Ms. Collins, Ms. Baldwin, and Mr. Murphy)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting the goals of International Women's Day.
Whereas, as of March 2018, there are more than 3,672,000,000 women in the world;
Whereas women around the world--
(1) have fundamental rights;
(2) participate in the political, social, and economic lives of their
communities;
(3) play a critical role in providing and caring for their families;
(4) contribute substantially to economic growth and the prevention and
resolution of conflict; and
(5) as farmers and caregivers, play an important role in the
advancement of food security for their communities;
Whereas the advancement of women around the world is a foreign policy priority
for the United States;
Whereas 2018 marks--
(1) the 73rd anniversary of the entry into force of the Charter of the
United Nations, which was the first international agreement to affirm the
principle of equality between women and men;
(2) the 23rd anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, at
which 189 countries committed to integrating gender equality into each
dimension of society; and
(3) the 7th anniversary of the establishment of the first United States
National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security, which includes a
comprehensive set of commitments by the United States to advance the
meaningful participation of women in decisionmaking relating to matters of
war or peace;
Whereas the National Security Strategy of the United States, revised in December
2017--
(1) declares that societies that empower women to participate fully in
civic and economic life are more prosperous and peaceful;
(2) supports efforts to advance the equality of women, protect the
rights of women and girls, and promote women and youth empowerment
programs; and
(3) recognizes that governments of countries that fail to treat women
equally do not allow the societies of those countries to reach full
potential;
Whereas the United States National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security,
revised in June 2016, states that ``[d]eadly conflicts can be more
effectively avoided, and peace can be best forged and sustained, when
women become equal partners in all aspects of peacebuilding and conflict
prevention, when their lives are protected, their voices heard, and
their perspectives taken into account.'';
Whereas there are 72 national action plans around the world, and there are
several additional national action plans known to be in development;
Whereas the joint strategy of the Department of State and the United States
Agency for International Development entitled ``Department of State &
USAID Joint Strategy on Countering Violent Extremism'' and dated May
2016--
(1) notes that women can play a critical role in identifying and
addressing drivers of violent extremism in their families, communities, and
broader society; and
(2) commits to supporting programs that engage women ``as key
stakeholders in preventing and countering violent extremism in their
communities'';
Whereas, despite the historical underrepresentation of women in conflict
resolution processes, women in conflict-affected regions have
nevertheless achieved significant success in--
(1) moderating violent extremism;
(2) countering terrorism;
(3) resolving disputes through nonviolent mediation and negotiation;
and
(4) stabilizing societies by improving access to peace and security--
G (A) services;
G (B) institutions; and
G (C) venues for decisionmaking;
Whereas, according to the United Nations, peace negotiations are more likely to
end in a peace agreement when women's groups play an influential role in
the negotiation process;
Whereas, according to a study by the International Peace Institute, a peace
agreement is 35 percent more likely to last at least 15 years if women
participate in the development of the peace agreement;
Whereas, according to the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement
Affairs of the Department of State, the full and meaningful
participation of women in security forces vastly enhances the
effectiveness of the security forces;
Whereas approximately 15,000,000 girls are married every year before they reach
the age of 18, which means that--
(1) 41,000 girls are married every day; or
(2) 1 girl is married every 2 seconds;
Whereas, according to the International Labor Organization, an estimated
40,300,000 people were victims of modern slavery in 2016, and 71 percent
of those victims were women and girls;
Whereas, according to UNICEF--
(1) approximately \1/4\ of girls between the ages of 15 and 19 are
victims of physical violence; and
(2) it is estimated that 1 in 3 women around the world has experienced
some form of physical or sexual violence;
Whereas, according to the 2016 report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime entitled ``Global Report on Trafficking in Persons''--
(1) 79 percent of all detected trafficking victims are women and
children; and
(2) while trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation and
forced labor are the most prominently detected forms of trafficking, the
trafficking of women and girls for the purpose of forced marriage is
emerging as a more prevalent form of trafficking;
Whereas 603,000,000 women live in countries in which domestic violence is not
criminalized;
Whereas, on August 10, 2012, the United States Government launched a strategy
entitled ``United States Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based
Violence Globally'', which is the first interagency strategy that--
(1) addresses gender-based violence around the world;
(2) advances the rights and status of women and girls;
(3) promotes gender equality in United States foreign policy; and
(4) works to bring about a world in which all individuals can pursue
their aspirations without the threat of violence;
Whereas, on October 6, 2017, the Women, Peace, and Security Act was enacted into
law, which--
(1) requires the President to submit a government-wide ``Women, Peace,
and Security Strategy'' describing how the United States would promote and
strengthen the participation of women in peace negotiations and conflict
prevention overseas;
(2) requires the Department of State, the United States Agency for
International Development, and the Department of Defense to train personnel
in matters related to the strategy of the President;
(3) requires the Department of State to brief the appropriate
congressional committees on that training;
(4) encourages the Department of State and the United States Agency for
International Development to establish guidelines for overseas personnel
consulting with stakeholders regarding efforts to promote the participation
of women in the mediation and negotiation processes; and
(5) requires the President to evaluate the impact of the ``Women,
Peace, and Security Strategy'' and report the results to Congress;
Whereas, on October 27, 2017, Ambassador Michele J. Sison, United States Deputy
Permanent Representative to the United Nations, stated in a United
Nations Security Council debate on women, peace, and security that--
(1) the role of women in maintaining international peace and security
is more critical than ever;
(2) collective work is still required for women to gain more positions
of leadership in government and civil society, and more seats at the
negotiating table;
(3) a growing body of evidence confirms that the inclusion of women in
peace processes helps reduce conflict and advance stability long-term; and
(4) the involvement of women in efforts to bring about peace and
security lead to more sustainable results;
Whereas, in June 2016, the Department of State released an update to the
strategy entitled ``United States Strategy to Prevent and Respond to
Gender-Based Violence Globally'', based on internal evaluations, lessons
learned, and consultations with civil society, that underscores that
``preventing and responding to gender-based violence is a cornerstone of
the United States Government's commitment to advancing human rights and
promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls'';
Whereas the ability of women and girls to realize their full potential is
critical to the ability of a country to achieve--
(1) strong and lasting economic growth; and
(2) political and social stability;
Whereas, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization--
(1) \2/3\ of the 778,000,000 illiterate individuals in the world are
female; and
(2) 130,000,000 girls worldwide are not in school;
Whereas, according to the United States Agency for International Development, as
compared to uneducated women, educated women are--
(1) less likely to marry as children; and
(2) more likely to have healthier families;
Whereas, although the United Nations Millennium Project reached the goal of
achieving gender parity in primary education in most countries in 2015,
more work remains to be done to achieve gender equality in primary
education worldwide by addressing--
(1) discriminatory practices;
(2) cultural norms;
(3) inadequate sanitation facilities; and
(4) other factors that favor boys;
Whereas, according to the United Nations, women have access to fewer income
earning opportunities and are more likely to manage the household or
engage in agricultural work than men, making women more vulnerable to
economic insecurity caused by--
(1) natural disasters; and
(2) long-term changes in weather patterns;
Whereas women around the world--
(1) face a variety of constraints that severely limit their economic
participation and productivity; and
(2) are underrepresented in the labor force;
Whereas closing the global gender gap in labor markets could increase worldwide
gross domestic product by as much as $28,000,000,000,000 by 2025;
Whereas despite the achievements of individual female leaders--
(1) women around the world remain vastly underrepresented in--
G (A) high-level positions; and
G (B) national and local legislatures and governments; and
(2) according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, women account for only
22 percent of national parliamentarians and 17.7 percent of government
ministers;
Whereas, according to the World Health Organization, during the period beginning
in 1990 and ending in 2015, global maternal mortality decreased by
approximately 44 percent, but approximately 830 women die from
preventable causes relating to pregnancy or childbirth each day, and 99
percent of all maternal deaths occur in developing countries;
Whereas according to the World Health Organization--
(1) suicide is the leading cause of death for girls between the ages of
15 and 19; and
(2) complications from pregnancy or childbirth is the second-leading
cause of death for those girls;
Whereas the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reports
that women and girls comprise approximately \1/2\ of the 65,300,000
refugees and internally displaced or stateless individuals in the world;
Whereas it is imperative--
(1) to alleviate violence and discrimination against women; and
(2) to afford women every opportunity to be full and productive members
of their communities;
Whereas violence, discrimination, and harmful practices against women and girls
are a direct result of negative social norms that undervalue females in
society; and
Whereas March 8, 2018, is recognized as International Women's Day, a global
day--
(1) to celebrate the economic, political, and social achievements of
women in the past, present, and future; and
(2) to recognize the obstacles that women face in the struggle for
equal rights and opportunities: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) supports the goals of International Women's Day;
(2) recognizes that the empowerment of women is
inextricably linked to the potential of a country to generate--
(A) economic growth;
(B) sustainable democracy; and
(C) inclusive security;
(3) recognizes and honors individuals in the United States
and around the world, including women human rights defenders
and civil society leaders, that have worked throughout history
to ensure that women are guaranteed equality and basic human
rights;
(4) recognizes the unique cultural, historical, and
religious differences throughout the world and urges the United
States Government to act with respect and understanding toward
legitimate differences when promoting any policies;
(5) reaffirms the commitment--
(A) to end discrimination and violence against
women and girls;
(B) to ensure the safety and welfare of women and
girls;
(C) to pursue policies that guarantee the basic
human rights of women and girls worldwide; and
(D) to promote meaningful and significant
participation of women in every aspect of society and
community;
(6) supports sustainable, measurable, and global
development that seeks to achieve gender equality and the
empowerment of women; and
(7) encourages the people of the United States to observe
International Women's Day with appropriate programs and
activities.
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