109 HRES 970 IH: Denouncing the practices of female genital U.S. House of Representatives 2006-07-28 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV 109th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 970 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 28, 2006 Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas (for herself, Mrs. Jones of Ohio, Ms. Lee, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Ms. Matsui, Mrs. Capps, Ms. Woolsey, Ms. Solis, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Ms. Millender-McDonald, Mrs. McCarthy, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Kennedy of Rhode Island, Mr. Crowley, Mr. Conyers, Ms. Velázquez, Ms. Harman, Mrs. Tauscher, and Ms. McCollum of Minnesota) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations RESOLUTION Denouncing the practices of female genital mutilation, domestic violence, honor killings, acid burning, dowry deaths, and other gender-based persecutions and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that participation, protection, recognition, and independence of women is crucial to achieving a just, moral, and honorable society.

Whereas human rights violations have occurred on six continents, have not been limited to times of war, and have been committed for political gain, personal advantage, ethnic hatred, and in the name of deities and fundamentalist religious zeal; Whereas, in many parts of the world, there is a culture of violence and discrimination which denies women rights equal to those of men and which legitimizes the exploitation of women for personal gratification or political purposes and gain; Whereas the United Nations Secretary General has declared that rape is a recognized tool of war; Whereas 200 women in Bangladesh are horribly disfigured when their spurned husbands or suitors burn them with acid each year; Whereas in North Africa, 6,000 women are genitally mutilated each day; Whereas more than 7,000 women in India will be killed by their families and in-laws in disputes over dowries each year; Whereas more than 15,000 women will be sold as sexual slaves in China this year; Whereas in the United States, a woman is raped every six minutes and a woman is battered every 15 seconds; Whereas the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly, defines discrimination against women as any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field; Whereas the United States has yet to ratify CEDAW; Whereas the intent of CEDAW is to incorporate the principle of equality of men and women in their legal system, abolish all discriminatory laws and adopt appropriate ones prohibiting discrimination against women; to establish tribunals and other public institutions to ensure the effective protection of women against discrimination; and to ensure elimination of all acts of discrimination against women by persons, organizations or enterprises; Whereas 183 countries, representing more than 90 percent of the Member States of the United Nations, are signatories to CEDAW; Whereas women are not chattel, may not be trafficked, or sold for services, and must not be denied the right to own property or the right of ownership; Whereas women perform two-thirds of the world’s work, but receive less than ten percent of the world’s income and own less than one percent of the world’s assets; Whereas the inalienable rights to freedom of worship, expression, association, and conscience, as well as the pursuit of happiness, must never be threatened or brutalized by violence, oppression, slavery, or manipulation; Whereas the leadership of women has led to social justice, economic prosperity, political stability, peaceful relations, and a healthy population; Whereas self-sufficiency, economic progress, and democracy are dependent on the welfare of women and children; Now, therefore, be it

That— (1)the House of Representatives— (A)denounces the barbaric practices of female genital mutilation, domestic violence, honor killings, acid burning, dowry deaths, and other gender-based persecutions; (B)demands the cessation of these barbaric practices; and (C)condemns the perpetrators of these barbaric practices; and (2)it is the sense of the House of Representatives that— (A)participation, protection, recognition, and independence of women is crucial to achieving a just, moral, and honorable society; (B)regardless of religion, geography, or form of government, women should not be denied equal rights, which should be defended when they are abridged, challenged, or violated; and (C)the United States should renew consideration of and ratify its signature on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).