[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 196 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 196

Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should provide 
  assistance for women and women's organizations in Iraq in order to 
         strengthen and stabilize the emerging Iraqi democracy.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 22, 2003

    Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas (for herself and Mr. Hobson) 
 submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 
                the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should provide 
  assistance for women and women's organizations in Iraq in order to 
         strengthen and stabilize the emerging Iraqi democracy.

Whereas women represent approximately 55 percent of the population of Iraq, and 
        thus represent enormous social capital for Iraq if properly supported 
        and trained;
Whereas living conditions for women in Iraq deteriorated during Saddam Hussein's 
        regime, and many women have lost jobs and been forced to abandon their 
        vocations, thereby losing both financial independence as well as 
        opportunities for self-determination and liberation;
Whereas under Saddam Hussein's regime and in post-war Iraq, most women have to 
        focus all their efforts in search of enough food and clean water to 
        ensure their family's survival;
Whereas the women's movement in Iraq has severely suffered due to sanctions and 
        laws discriminating against women imposed by Saddam Hussein's regime 
        since the mid-1990s;
Whereas there has been a sharp increase in maternal mortality in Iraq because 
        women are not receiving emergency obstetric care for complications 
        during pregnancy and childbirth;
Whereas girls and women in Iraq are facing a major learning gap as compared to 
        boys and men in Iraq; and
Whereas there has been a sharp decline in female literacy in Iraq in recent 
        years and nearly twice as many girls as boys are currently not in 
        school: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that the President, acting through the 
Department of Defense, the Department of State, the United States 
Agency for International Development, and other appropriate Federal 
departments and agencies, should provide assistance for women and 
women's organizations in Iraq in order to strengthen and stabilize the 
emerging Iraqi democracy, including through the protection of the 
rights of Iraqi women and their families, the revitalization of the 
agricultural sector, the restoration of the healthcare system, 
increased educational opportunities for women and girls, and increased 
employment opportunities for women in order to afford full 
participation by women in all aspects of public life, including 
government.
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