[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 17 (Tuesday, February 5, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H348]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Wilson) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WILSON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, ``gender-based violence''--a 
phrase the world has coined to speak internationally about violence, 
abuse, rape, assault, and disrespect of women. Women like our mothers, 
grandmothers, sisters, aunts, nieces, friends, and most especially our 
children.
  Gender-based violence permeates the world, generally in far away 
countries, far from the civilized democratic world that we communicate 
with and befriend.
  To the women of this Congress and the women of the world, take a 
moment to imagine trying to survive without a response from the police, 
without the ability to press charges and being able to actually see 
your assailant day after day if you are a victim of gender-based 
violence. Contemplate life without access to medical care to address 
your physical, mental, and emotional trauma. Imagine having nowhere to 
hide.
  This scenario sounds like 100 years ago in a world far from our 
country, but in reality it is just a two-hour flight away from my 
congressional district of Miami, Florida. It actually describes gender-
based violence in Haiti. But through smart policy and the strength and 
courage of Haitian women, it's a reality that's within our power to 
change.

                              {time}  1030

  The 2010 earthquake in Haiti brought a striking increase in incidents 
of gender-based violence. Nearly half of the victims are girls under 
18, and many cases involve the use of weapons, gang rape, and death 
threats for seeking help from authorities. These threats, coupled with 
the lack of police presence and equipment, hurts the integrity of 
Haiti's legal system and denies women and girls their basic dignity.
  The National Penitentiary was destroyed in the earthquake, freeing 
countless violent prisoners who now roam the streets. Through the 
determination and grace of the Haitian people and smart assistance from 
the Obama administration and international NGOs, some change is coming 
to Haiti. Most of the rubble has been removed, more than a million 
Haitians have moved out of tent camps, jobs have been created, schools 
have been built, yet core challenges, including gender-based violence, 
remain severe.
  Today, I am introducing a resolution calling attention to the plight 
of Haitian women and children and calling for action on their behalf. 
With its Strategy to Prevent Gender-Based Violence, the Obama 
administration is on the right track. Congress and the administration 
must ensure robust funding for these initiatives, including the U.S. 
Agency of International Development's Gender Equality and Female 
Empowerment Policy, to meet the continuing need.
  For me, this issue is personal. I have seen the tent cities 
firsthand. I have spoken to the women. I have counseled the victims and 
witnessed the scars of indignation and pain. I feel the anguish in my 
bones, but I also feel the hope.
  Let's work together to ensure that no woman in Haiti, no woman in 
this hemisphere or in this world, has to bear the indignity of sexual 
violence.

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