[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3377 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3377

  To increase the participation of women in foreign security forces, 
   specifically the military and police, with United States foreign 
                              assistance.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 21, 2016

  Mrs. Boxer (for herself and Mrs. Shaheen) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To increase the participation of women in foreign security forces, 
   specifically the military and police, with United States foreign 
                              assistance.

    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 ``Enhancing Military and Police 
Operations through Women's Engagement and Recruitment Act of 2016''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The United States National Action Plan On Women, Peace 
        and Security expresses the unqualified commitment of the United 
        States to integrating women's perspectives fully into our 
        diplomatic, defense, and development efforts not simply as 
        beneficiaries, but as agents of peace, security, 
        reconciliation, development, growth, and stability. The plan 
        also specifies the following priorities:
                    (A) Providing assistance to support women's 
                participation, integration, and leadership in the 
                security sector.
                    (B) Working with partner nations to increase 
                women's participation in United States-funded training 
                programs for foreign police, judicial, and military 
                personnel, including professional military education, 
                as well as exchange programs, conferences, and 
                seminars.
                    (C) Utilizing the participation of female members 
                of the United States Armed Forces to encourage and 
                model gender integration in the armed forces of partner 
                nations.
            (2) The Department of State's 2015 Quadrennial Diplomacy 
        and Development Review states that--
                    (A) the United States is promoting initiatives 
                based on the unique roles that women and girls play in 
                preventing and responding to conflict; and
                    (B) gender equality is a core element in policy 
                development, strategy and budget planning, policy and 
                program implementation, management and training, and 
                monitoring and evaluation of results.
            (3) United States security sector assistance is a key 
        engagement tool with our foreign partners. Security sector 
        assistance helps further United States interests by seeking to 
        professionalize and develop the police and militaries of our 
        foreign partners, shaping the security sector policies of 
        foreign governments, and building sustainable and legitimate 
        institutions to provide security and justice and respond to the 
        needs of populations. Security sector assistance can also 
        support broad United States policy goals, including respect for 
        human rights, civilian control of the military, and the rule of 
        law.
            (4) To support these efforts, the United States Department 
        of State provides funding for a number of training programs for 
        military forces, police and other security forces, and 
        international peacekeeping operations.
            (5) Women are underrepresented in security forces 
        worldwide. For instance, in South Asia--
                    (A) women make up less than 1 percent of Pakistan's 
                total police force;
                    (B) women make up less than 5 percent of 
                Bangladesh's total police force; and
                    (C) women make up less than 7 percent of India's 
                total police force.
            (6) As demonstrated by United States Female Engagement 
        Teams deployed to Afghanistan, female soldiers can enhance the 
        operational effectiveness of security operations and gather 
        information and provide access to local populations that all-
        male units cannot engage or search.
            (7) Female military and police can provide critical 
        contributions to security. For Afghanistan's 2014 presidential 
        elections, Afghanistan's Ministry of Interior recruited and 
        trained 13,000 females to provide security and conduct searches 
        of women at checkpoints and polling stations. Female police 
        facilitated the participation of women in elections.
            (8) The International Military Education and Training 
        (IMET) program, funded by the United States Department of 
        State, provides professional military training for the future 
        leaders of our foreign partners, enhances interoperability with 
        the United States Armed Forces, builds relationships among 
        international and United States military students, and conveys 
        United States customs and cultural norms.
            (9) Of the 141 countries that received IMET funding from 
        Fiscal Year 2011 through Fiscal Year 2015, only approximately 7 
        percent of IMET program participants from those countries were 
        women.
            (10) United States international police training programs 
        that are specifically focused on women have proven effective in 
        recruiting and retaining women. In Lebanon, for instance, a 
        Department of State-funded basic cadet course for women was 
        instrumental in helping Lebanon's Internal Security Forces 
        increase the number of police officers from two to 610.
            (11) United States security assistance for peacekeeping 
        builds the capabilities of our partner countries, increases the 
        number of military and police personnel available for 
        deployment to support peace operations, and facilitates the 
        logistical support and deployment of units to peace operations.
            (12) Studies demonstrate that the inclusion of higher 
        proportions of female peacekeepers is associated with fewer 
        allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation, as is the 
        inclusion of personnel from countries with better records of 
        gender equality.
            (13) Female peacekeepers are uniquely capable of assisting 
        female survivors of sexual violence. Reports demonstrate that 
        victims are more likely to report incidents of abuse to women 
        in the police or military. In Liberia, the presence of a female 
        Indian peacekeeping unit increased reporting of sexual abuse 
        and encouraged the recruitment of women to the national police.
            (14) Despite the recognition of the importance of 
        increasing the number of women in peacekeeping operations, 
        according to the United Nations, as of February 2016--
                    (A) women comprised only 3 percent of total 
                military forces deployed to peacekeeping missions; and
                    (B) women comprised only 9 percent of total police 
                forces deployed to peacekeeping missions.
            (15) The Global Peace Operations Initiative is a United 
        States security assistance program to train, deploy, and build 
        the capacity of peacekeepers worldwide. Through the Global 
        Peace Operations Initiative, the United States has worked to 
        increase the participation of female peacekeepers in United 
        Nations operations. With dedicated United States assistance, 
        over the last five years, the countries that received 
        assistance under the Global Peace Operations Initiative nearly 
        doubled the number of deployed female military peacekeepers 
        from 1,396 to 2,539. Of the countries that received assistance 
        under the Global Peace Operations Initiative that deploy 
        personnel to peacekeeping missions, as of January 2016--
                    (A) women comprised approximately 4 percent of 
                total military forces deployed to peace operations; and
                    (B) women comprised approximately 7 percent of 
                formed police units and 10 percent of total police 
                forces deployed to peace operations.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    It is the policy of the United States--
            (1) to recognize and respond to the significant shortage of 
        women at all levels in foreign military and police forces;
            (2) to prioritize the identification, engagement, and 
        support of women leaders at all levels in foreign security 
        sectors;
            (3) to increase the recruitment, retention, 
        professionalization, and promotion of women in foreign security 
        sectors, specifically in the military and police forces;
            (4) to promote the meaningful inclusion and deployment of 
        women in security operations; and
            (5) to enhance and expand United States training 
        opportunities for women at all levels in foreign militaries and 
        police forces.

SEC. 4. FOREIGN MILITARY EXCHANGES.

    The Department of State, in coordination with the Department of 
Defense, shall seek to increase the participation of women receiving 
training under the International Military Education and Training 
program at United States military schools and training institutions, 
with the goal of doubling female participation in such programs 
globally by September 30, 2019.

SEC. 5. COUNTERING TERRORISM AND VIOLENT EXTREMISM.

    (a) In General.--The Department of State shall seek to increase the 
participation of women receiving training under the Department of 
State's Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) programs, with the goal of 
doubling the total women receiving such training by September 30, 2019.
    (b) Mandate.--The Department of State shall make explicit in its 
mandate for ATA programs its priority to increase the participation of 
women.

SEC. 6. PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS.

    (a) In General.--The Department of State shall work with partner 
countries receiving peacekeeping training assistance to prioritize the 
integration, training, and deployment of qualified female peacekeepers 
in peace operations. The Department of State shall work with partner 
countries receiving peacekeeping training assistance to prioritize the 
employment, development, and integration of female peacekeeping 
trainers.
    (b) United Nations Peacekeeping Missions.--Through the United 
States Mission to the United Nations, the Department of State shall 
promote an increase in the recruitment, retention, and leadership roles 
of female personnel assigned to United Nations peacekeeping missions.
    (c) Increased Deployment of Female Peacekeepers.--The Department of 
State may work with partner countries receiving United States 
peacekeeping training assistance to double the number of qualified 
women deployed to peace operations not later than 5 years after the 
date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 7. LAW ENFORCEMENT.

    (a) Participation Requirement.--The Department of State shall 
establish female participation requirements for its police training 
programs and work with partner countries to ensure that women account 
for not less than 10 percent of nominees for United States-funded 
police training programs.
    (b) Communication of Requirement.--The Department shall make 
explicit its priority to increase the participation of women in the 
design and implementation of all police training programs.

SEC. 8. MONITORING AND EVALUATION.

    The Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and 
representatives of other relevant Federal agencies and departments, as 
appropriate, shall develop a plan for the monitoring and independent 
evaluation of programs, projects, and activities carried out under this 
Act.

SEC. 9. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State, in conjunction with the 
Secretary of Defense, shall designate appropriate officials to brief 
the appropriate congressional committees, not later than 1 year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, on--
            (1) the existing, enhanced, and newly established training 
        carried out pursuant to this Act;
            (2) diplomatic actions undertaken to promote the targets 
        set forth in this Act;
            (3) the guidelines established for overseas United States 
        diplomatic and military personnel to engage with foreign 
        counterparts pursuant to this Act;
            (4) progress towards the targets set forth in this Act; and
            (5) actions to address the structural and systemic barriers 
        to women's recruitment, retention, and professionalization for 
        the largest recipients of United States security sector 
        assistance.
    (b) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on 
        Armed Services, and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
        Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on 
        Armed Services, and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
        House of Representatives.
                                 <all>