[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2647 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2647

    To require that activities carried out by the United States in 
Afghanistan relating to governance, reconstruction and development, and 
 refugee relief and assistance will support the basic human rights of 
     women and women's participation and leadership in these areas.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 19, 2002

 Ms. Snowe (for herself and Mr. Durbin) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To require that activities carried out by the United States in 
Afghanistan relating to governance, reconstruction and development, and 
 refugee relief and assistance will 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 ``Access for Afghan Women Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Despite the removal of the Taliban from power, Afghan 
        women continue to experience brutal violation of their human 
        rights, generally outside of Kabul where warlords are 
        reexerting control.
            (2) Strong and continued United States support can ensure 
        that the advances made by Afghan women since the fall of the 
        Taliban will continue and grow, rather than recede.
            (3) The United States has made a substantial contribution 
        to the emergency relief and humanitarian efforts for 
        Afghanistan. Completing the United States mission in 
        Afghanistan will also require significant and long-term 
        investments in development and reconstruction assistance.
            (4) The maternal mortality rate in Afghanistan is one of 
        the highest in the world, with recent reports estimating that 
        every 30 minutes an Afghan women dies (about 15,000 women every 
        year) of pregnancy related causes. The estimated maternal 
        mortality rate of 1,700 deaths per 100,000 live births can be 
        significantly and rapidly reduced through access to primary 
        health care services, including safe birthing supplies, 
        emergency obstetric care, prenatal and postnatal care, 
        contraception, and prevention and treatment for the effects of 
        sexual coercion and rape.
            (5) Women make up 75 percent or more of the refugees and 
        internally displaced in camps, urban areas, and villages.
            (6) Eighty-five percent of Afghanistan's population lives 
        in rural areas. The women in rural areas perform vital roles in 
        food production, processing, and preparation. Successful 
        reconstruction and development assistance must target rural 
        women as part of any agricultural interventions.
            (7) Within Afghanistan and outside of Afghanistan, local 
        women's organizations are delivering critical services and have 
        the knowledge and experience to assist the United States in 
        delivering effective relief aid.
            (8) The Afghan Ministry for Women's Affairs is an important 
        new ministry that is essential for re-establishing women's 
        human rights, ensuring that women are included in all 
        development efforts, and delivering critical legal, health, 
        education, and economic services to women throughout 
        Afghanistan's 30 provinces.
            (9) Afghan women 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 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 IN 
              AFGHANISTAN.

    (a) In General.--Activities described in subsections (b) through 
(e) that are carried out by the United States in Afghanistan shall 
comply with the applicable requirements contained in such subsections.
    (b) Governance of Afghanistan.--With respect to the governance of 
Afghanistan, the applicable requirements are the following:
            (1) Include the perspectives and advice of Afghan women's 
        organizations, networks, and leaders in United States 
        policymaking related to the governance of Afghanistan.
            (2) Promote the inclusion of a significant number of women 
        in the Loya Jirga 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 Afghanistan.
            (3) Promote the continuation and strengthening of the 
        Ministry for Women's Affairs as the Afghan Government 
        transitions to a long-term government structure, and encourage 
        the appointment of women to high level positions within Afghan 
        ministries.
    (c) Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development.--With respect to 
activities relating to post-conflict stability in Afghanistan, 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 Afghan organizations, 
        particularly Afghan 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 Afghan-
        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 
        Afghan 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) Afghan Military and Police.--With respect to training for 
military and police forces in Afghanistan, 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 Afghanistan 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 Afghanistan, 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.
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