[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 187 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 187

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United 
States should seek to prevent any Taliban-led government in Afghanistan 
   from obtaining a seat in the United Nations, and should refuse to 
recognize any Afghan government, while gross violations of human rights 
                 persist against women and girls there.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 25, 1999

 Mrs. Maloney of New York (for herself and Mr. Rohrabacher) submitted 
   the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                        International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United 
States should seek to prevent any Taliban-led government in Afghanistan 
   from obtaining a seat in the United Nations, and should refuse to 
recognize any Afghan government, while gross violations of human rights 
                 persist against women and girls there.

Whereas millions of women and girls living under Taliban rule in 
        Afghanistan are denied their basic human rights;
Whereas according to the Department of State and international human 
        rights organizations, the Taliban continues to commit 
        widespread and well-documented human rights abuses, in gross 
        violation of internationally accepted norms;
Whereas, according to the United States Department of State Country 
        Report on Human Rights Practices (hereafter ``1998 State 
        Department Human Rights Report''), violence against women in 
        Afghanistan occurs frequently, including beatings, rapes, 
        forced marriages, disappearances, kidnapings, and killings;
Whereas women and girls under Taliban rule are generally barred from 
        working, going to school, leaving their homes without an 
        immediate male family member as chaperone, and visiting 
        doctors, hospitals or clinics;
Whereas according to the 1998 State Department Human Rights Report, 
        gender restrictions by the Taliban continue to interfere with 
        the delivery of humanitarian assistance to women and girls in 
        Afghanistan;
Whereas according to the 1998 State Department Human Rights Report, 
        under Taliban rule women are forced to don a head-to-toe 
        garment known as a burqa, which has only a mesh screen for 
        vision, and many women found in public not wearing a burqa, or 
        wearing a burqa that does not properly cover the ankles, are 
        beaten by Taliban militiamen;
Whereas according to the 1998 State Department Human Rights Report, 
        some poor women under Taliban rule cannot afford the cost of a 
        burqa and thus are forced to remain at home or risk beatings if 
        they go outside the home without one;
Whereas according to the 1998 State Department Human Rights Report, the 
        lack of a burqa has resulted in the inability of some women 
        under Taliban rule to get necessary medical care because they 
        cannot leave home;
Whereas according to the 1998 State Department Human Rights Report, 
        women under Taliban rule reportedly have been beaten if their 
        shoe heels click when they walk;
Whereas according to the 1998 State Department Human Rights Report, 
        under Taliban rule women in homes must not be visible from the 
        street, and houses with female occupants must have their 
        windows painted over;
Whereas according to the 1998 State Department Human Rights Report, 
        under Taliban rule women are not allowed to drive, and taxi 
        drivers reportedly have been beaten if they take unescorted 
        women as passengers;
Whereas according to the 1998 State Department Human Rights Report, 
        women under Taliban rule are forbidden to enter mosques or 
        other places of worship; and
Whereas women and girls of all ages under Taliban rule have suffered 
        needlessly and even died from curable illness because they have 
        been turned away from health care facilities because of their 
        gender: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) the President should instruct the United States 
        Representative to the United Nations to use all appropriate 
        means to prevent any Taliban-led government in Afghanistan from 
        obtaining the seat in the United Nations General Assembly 
        reserved for Afghanistan so long as gross violations of 
        internationally recognized human rights against women and girls 
        persist; and
            (2) the United States should refuse to recognize any 
        government in Afghanistan which is not taking actions to 
        achieve the following goals in Afghanistan:
                    (A) The effective participation of women in all 
                civil, economic, and social life.
                    (B) The right of women to work.
                    (C) The right of women and girls to an education 
                without discrimination and the reopening of schools to 
                women and girls at all levels of education.
                    (D) The freedom of movement of women and girls.
                    (E) Equal access of women and girls to health 
                facilities.
                    (F) Equal access of women and girls to humanitarian 
                aid.
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