[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 20, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H4970-H4974]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY ACT OF 2017

  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 2484) to ensure that the United States promotes the 
meaningful participation of women in mediation and negotiation 
processes seeking to prevent, mitigate, or resolve violent conflict.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2484

       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 ``Women, Peace, and Security 
     Act of 2017''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) Around the world, women remain underrepresented in 
     conflict prevention, conflict resolution, and post-conflict 
     peace building efforts.
       (2) Women in conflict-affected regions have achieved 
     significant success in--
       (A) moderating violent extremism;
       (B) countering terrorism;
       (C) resolving disputes through nonviolent mediation and 
     negotiation; and
       (D) stabilizing societies by enhancing the effectiveness of 
     security services, peacekeeping efforts, institutions, and 
     decision-making processes.
       (3) Research suggests that peace negotiations are more 
     likely to succeed and to result in durable peace agreements 
     when women participate in the peace process.

     SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the meaningful participation of women in conflict 
     prevention and conflict resolution processes helps to promote 
     more inclusive and democratic societies and is critical to

[[Page H4971]]

     the long-term stability of countries and regions;
       (2) the political participation, and leadership of women in 
     fragile environments, particularly during democratic 
     transitions, is critical to sustaining lasting democratic 
     institutions; and
       (3) the United States should be a global leader in 
     promoting the meaningful participation of women in conflict 
     prevention, management, and resolution, and post-conflict 
     relief and recovery efforts.

     SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

       It shall be the policy of the United States to promote the 
     meaningful participation of women in all aspects of overseas 
     conflict prevention, management, and resolution, and post-
     conflict relief and recovery efforts, reinforced through 
     diplomatic efforts and programs that--
       (1) integrate the perspectives and interests of affected 
     women into conflict-prevention activities and strategies;
       (2) encourage partner governments to adopt plans to improve 
     the meaningful participation of women in peace and security 
     processes and decision-making institutions;
       (3) promote the physical safety, economic security, and 
     dignity of women and girls;
       (4) support the equal access of women to aid distribution 
     mechanisms and services;
       (5) collect and analyze gender data for the purpose of 
     developing and enhancing early warning systems of conflict 
     and violence;
       (6) adjust policies and programs to improve outcomes in 
     gender equality and the empowerment of women; and
       (7) monitor, analyze, and evaluate the efforts related to 
     each strategy submitted under section 5 and the impact of 
     such efforts.

     SEC. 5. UNITED STATES STRATEGY TO PROMOTE THE PARTICIPATION 
                   OF WOMEN IN CONFLICT PREVENTION AND PEACE 
                   BUILDING.

       (a) Requirement.--Not later than one year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, and again four years thereafter, 
     the President, in consultation with the heads of the relevant 
     Federal departments and agencies, shall submit to the 
     appropriate congressional committees and make publicly 
     available a single government-wide strategy, to be known as 
     the Women, Peace, and Security Strategy, that provides a 
     detailed description of how the United States intends to 
     fulfill the policy objectives in section 4. The strategy 
     shall--
       (1) support and be aligned with plans developed by other 
     countries to improve the meaningful participation of women in 
     peace and security processes, conflict prevention, peace 
     building, transitional processes, and decision-making 
     institutions; and
       (2) include specific and measurable goals, benchmarks, 
     performance metrics, timetables, and monitoring and 
     evaluation plans to ensure the accountability and 
     effectiveness of all policies and initiatives carried out 
     under the strategy.
       (b) Specific Plans for Departments and Agencies.--Each 
     strategy under subsection (a) shall include a specific 
     implementation plan from each of the relevant Federal 
     departments and agencies that describes--
       (1) the anticipated contributions of the department or 
     agency, including technical, financial, and in-kind 
     contributions, to implement the strategy; and
       (2) the efforts of the department or agency to ensure that 
     the policies and initiatives carried out pursuant to the 
     strategy are designed to achieve maximum impact and long-term 
     sustainability.
       (c) Coordination.--The President should promote the 
     meaningful participation of women in conflict prevention, in 
     coordination and consultation with international partners, 
     including, as appropriate, multilateral organizations, 
     stakeholders, and other relevant international organizations, 
     particularly in situations in which the direct engagement of 
     the United States Government is not appropriate or advisable.
       (d) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     the President, in implementing each strategy submitted under 
     subsection (a), should--
       (1) provide technical assistance, training, and logistical 
     support to female negotiators, mediators, peace builders, and 
     stakeholders;
       (2) address security-related barriers to the meaningful 
     participation of women;
       (3) encourage increased participation of women in existing 
     programs funded by the United States Government that provide 
     training to foreign nationals regarding law enforcement, the 
     rule of law, or professional military education;
       (4) support appropriate local organizations, especially 
     women's peace building organizations;
       (5) support the training, education, and mobilization of 
     men and boys as partners in support of the meaningful 
     participation of women;
       (6) encourage the development of transitional justice and 
     accountability mechanisms that are inclusive of the 
     experiences and perspectives of women and girls;
       (7) expand and apply gender analysis, as appropriate, to 
     improve program design and targeting; and
       (8) conduct assessments that include the perspectives of 
     women regarding new initiatives in support of peace 
     negotiations, transitional justice and accountability, 
     efforts to counter violent extremism, or security sector 
     reform.

     SEC. 6. TRAINING REQUIREMENTS REGARDING THE PARTICIPATION OF 
                   WOMEN IN CONFLICT PREVENTION AND PEACE 
                   BUILDING.

       (a) Foreign Service.--The Secretary of State, in 
     conjunction with the Administrator of the United States 
     Agency for International Development, shall ensure that all 
     appropriate personnel (including special envoys, members of 
     mediation or negotiation teams, relevant members of the civil 
     service or Foreign Service, and contractors) responsible for 
     or deploying to countries or regions considered to be at risk 
     of, undergoing, or emerging from violent conflict obtain 
     training, as appropriate, in the following areas, each of 
     which shall include a focus on women and ensuring meaningful 
     participation by women:
       (1) Conflict prevention, mitigation, and resolution.
       (2) Protecting civilians from violence, exploitation, and 
     trafficking in persons.
       (3) International human rights law and international 
     humanitarian law.
       (b) Department of Defense.--The Secretary of Defense shall 
     ensure that relevant personnel receive training, as 
     appropriate, in the following areas:
       (1) Training in conflict prevention, peace processes, 
     mitigation, resolution, and security initiatives that 
     specifically addresses the importance of meaningful 
     participation by women.
       (2) Gender considerations and meaningful participation by 
     women, including training regarding--
       (A) international human rights law and international 
     humanitarian law, as relevant; and
       (B) protecting civilians from violence, exploitation, and 
     trafficking in persons.
       (3) Effective strategies and best practices for ensuring 
     meaningful participation by women.

     SEC. 7. CONSULTATION AND COLLABORATION.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of State and the 
     Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
     Development may establish guidelines or take other steps to 
     ensure overseas United States personnel of the Department of 
     State or the United States Agency for International 
     Development, as the case may be, consult with appropriate 
     stakeholders, including local women, youth, ethnic and 
     religious minorities, and other politically underrepresented 
     or marginalized populations, regarding United States efforts 
     to--
       (1) prevent, mitigate, or resolve violent conflict; and
       (2) enhance the success of mediation and negotiation 
     processes by ensuring the meaningful participation of women.
       (b) Collaboration and Coordination.--The Secretary of State 
     should work with international, regional, national, and local 
     organizations to increase the meaningful participation of 
     women in international peacekeeping operations, and should 
     promote training that provides international peacekeeping 
     personnel with the substantive knowledge and skills needed to 
     ensure effective physical security and meaningful 
     participation of women in conflict prevention and peace 
     building.

     SEC. 8. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.

       (a) Briefing.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
     first submission of a strategy required under section 5, the 
     Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Administrator of 
     the United States Agency for International Development and 
     the Secretary of Defense, shall brief the appropriate 
     congressional committees on existing, enhanced, or newly 
     established training carried out pursuant to section 6.
       (b) Report on Women, Peace, and Security Strategy.--Not 
     later than 2 years after the date of the submission of each 
     strategy required under section 5, the President shall submit 
     to the appropriate congressional committees a report that--
       (1) summarizes and evaluates the implementation of such 
     strategy and the impact of United States diplomatic efforts 
     and foreign assistance programs, projects, and activities to 
     promote the meaningful participation of women;
       (2) describes the nature and extent of the coordination 
     among the relevant Federal departments and agencies on the 
     implementation of such strategy;
       (3) outlines the monitoring and evaluation tools, 
     mechanisms, and common indicators to assess progress made on 
     the policy objectives set forth in section 4; and
       (4) describes the existing, enhanced, or newly established 
     training carried out pursuant to section 6.

     SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
     ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
       (A) the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Armed 
     Services, and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
     Senate; and
       (B) the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Armed 
     Services, and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
     of Representatives.
       (2) Relevant federal departments and agencies.--The term 
     ``relevant Federal departments and agencies'' means--
       (A) the United States Agency for International Development;
       (B) the Department of State;
       (C) the Department of Defense;
       (D) the Department of Homeland Security; and
       (E) any other department or agency specified by the 
     President for purposes of this Act.

[[Page H4972]]

       (3) Stakeholders.--The term ``stakeholders'' means 
     nongovernmental and private sector entities engaged in or 
     affected by conflict prevention and stabilization, peace 
     building, protection, security, transition initiatives, 
     humanitarian response, or related efforts.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Castro) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             general leave

  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their 
remarks and to include any extraneous material in the Record on H.R. 
2484.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Women, Peace, and Security Act, 
H.R. 2484.
  I want to recognize Representatives Kristi Noem and Jan Schakowsky. I 
want to recognize the two of them for their bipartisan effort in 
putting together this legislation, this important piece of legislation. 
I think it is going to have a great impact.
  I also want to thank Mr. Engel for his important leadership.
  Our consideration of this measure is really the culmination of many 
years of bipartisan work by Members of the House, including 
Representative Jan Schakowsky and Representative Kristi Noem, and by 
our prior administration officials, as well, who have worked on this, 
and many advocates--many advocates--who want to see better, more 
sustainable solutions to ending wars, to combating terrorism, and to 
improving human rights around the world. What we are seeing today is 
that women's participation is really essential to confronting these 
fundamental challenges.
  Last year, the Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing where we 
heard powerful testimony about the importance of including women in 
peace negotiations and in the security negotiations and security 
institutions that have been set up around the globe. Women, of course, 
have the fundamental human right to have their voices heard in 
discussions affecting their lives and their families' lives, and that 
is a case in and of itself that we must continue to make.
  But women's participation is also critical to realizing better 
outcomes with respect to these negotiations. Simply put, when women are 
at the negotiating table and it affects their community, peace is more 
likely. Compelling research shows that peace agreements are much more 
likely to be reached, and certainly more likely to last, when women's 
groups are genuinely involved.
  Women peacemakers often press warring parties to move beyond mere 
power-sharing agreements--which, of course, benefit only a small 
percentage of fighters--to more comprehensive and longer term accords 
which benefit the civilian population as a whole.
  We have seen this play out from Colombia to Rwanda, to Sri Lanka, 
where women's groups have pushed for practical solutions to deescalate 
and resolve the conflict, and certainly, in Northern Ireland, where, 
indisputably, the bravery and perseverance in the face of reprisal and 
pressure led women on both sides of that conflict to stay engaged until 
there was a lasting peace; at least, until today, there is a lasting 
peace in Northern Ireland, and that is because of their involvement.
  Efforts to keep the peace through policing and peacemaking missions 
also--this is an additional point--benefit from women's participation 
because it leads to better crime reporting and higher levels of trust 
within the communities they serve.
  Women are essential to confronting one of the greatest national 
security threats of our time, and that is the spread of violent 
extremism because, if we think about it, women, of course, are truly on 
the front lines of this fight. They possess unique insights into the 
community, into their families, and are capable of gathering 
information often that men cannot or do not see. Yet their input is 
frequently overlooked, and I would just give one example, of many.
  Activist Wazhma Frogh in Afghanistan recalls when women from a small 
Afghan village tried desperately to warn a government official that 
young men in their community were being recruited by Islamist militants 
at the local weddings, the minister laughed them off. He said: The 
militants that we are fighting are much too sophisticated to go and 
recruit at the weddings here in the community. Well, of course, a month 
later, unfortunately, some of those same young men that had been 
recruited attacked a bus, killing 32 civilians.
  My committee has heard similar stories from women around the world 
who want to reclaim their communities from the spread of radical 
ideologies. We must acknowledge women as partners in this fight, and 
that is why the legislation before us today recognizes that it is in 
our national interest to promote women's participation in resolving 
violence and conflict.
  This concept has been building support for some time. The Bush 
administration was right to press hard for women's participation in 
peace negotiations and political processes in Iraq and Afghanistan and 
elsewhere, and the Obama administration expanded on these programs to 
require a governmentwide approach to women's inclusion in conflict 
resolution overseas.
  Today, this bipartisan legislation before us builds on these efforts. 
It will continue to require a governmentwide strategy to promote 
women's participation, along with specific goals and benchmarks and 
regular reporting to Congress in order to gauge progress.
  It also requires that appropriate State, USAID, and Defense 
Department personnel receive training in how to facilitate women's 
participation in conflict resolution, security initiatives, and efforts 
to protect civilians from violence and to protect them from 
exploitation.
  I urge all Members to support this measure's passage.
  I again thank Kristi Noem and Jan Schakowsky for their good work on 
this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                                      Committee on Armed Services,


                                     House of Representatives,

                                    Washington, DC, June 12, 2017.
     Hon. Edward R. Royce,
     Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to you concerning H.R. 
     2484, the ``Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017.'' There 
     are certain provisions in the bill which fall within the Rule 
     X jurisdiction of the Committee on Armed Services.
       In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed 
     expeditiously to floor consideration of this important 
     legislation, I am willing to waive this committee's further 
     consideration of H.R. 2484. I do so with the understanding 
     that by waiving consideration of the bill, the Committee on 
     Armed Services does not waive any future jurisdictional claim 
     over the subject matters contained in the legislation which 
     fall within its Rule X jurisdiction.
       Please place a copy of this letter and your response 
     acknowledging our jurisdictional interest into the 
     Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on 
     the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in 
     which you have worked regarding this matter and others 
     between our respective committees.
           Sincerely,
                                    William M. ``Mac'' Thornberry,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                     Committee on Foreign Affairs,


                                     House of Representatives,

                                    Washington, DC, June 12, 2017.
     Hon. William M. ``Mac'' Thornberry,
     Chairman, House Armed Services Committee,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for consulting with the 
     Committee on Foreign Affairs on H.R. 2484, the Women, Peace, 
     and Security Act of 2017, and for agreeing to be discharged 
     from further consideration of that bill so that it may 
     proceed expeditiously to consideration by the House.
       I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure 
     does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of the 
     Committee on Armed Services, or prejudice its jurisdictional 
     prerogatives on this bill or similar legislation in the 
     future. I would support your effort to seek appointment of an 
     appropriate number of conferees from your committee to any 
     House-Senate conference on this legislation.
       I will seek to place our letters on H.R. 2484 into the 
     Congressional Record during floor consideration. I appreciate 
     your cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward 
     to continuing to work with your Committee

[[Page H4973]]

     as this measure moves through the legislative process.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Edward R. Royce,
                                                         Chairman.

  Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure.
  I want to thank the bill's authors, Representative Schakowsky and 
Representative Noem, for their years' worth of work on this measure. I 
also want to thank Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel for helping 
move it forward.
  Wherever there are conflicts around the world, women and girls face 
particular vulnerabilities, but they also possess unique abilities to 
bring peace and prosperity to their communities.
  Research has shown that getting women involved in conflict resolution 
and peace building leads to better outcomes. That is why the Obama 
administration launched its executive order on Women, Peace, and 
Security in 2011 to make sure women had a seat at the table when it 
came to conflict prevention and resolution.
  Thanks to the Obama administration's efforts, the United States has 
worked to include women in conflict prevention, negotiation, and 
resolution. We have promoted efforts to enhance the physical and 
economic security of women around the world, and we have sought to 
break through the barriers that have stopped women from being full 
participants in peace processes.

                              {time}  1800

  The bill we are considering will make these policies permanent. It 
would build on what the Obama administration has accomplished by making 
sure agency personnel across our government are fully trained on the 
unique strengths women bring to conflict prevention and resolution. It 
would also require annual reporting so Congress can stay apprised of 
these efforts.
  Making this strategy permanent is absolutely imperative. It is 
important that we fully recognize and appreciate how women's 
participation can help make our foreign policy stronger.
  I am pleased to support this measure, and I urge all my colleagues to 
do the same.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from South Dakota (Mrs. Noem), a member of the Committee on 
Ways and Means and the author of this important bill.
  Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, you can't hardly turn on the TV today or open 
a newspaper, scroll through your news feed without learning of another 
outbreak of violence around the globe. Especially in a world as 
volatile and insecure as ours is today, we have a responsibility to 
take full advantage of proven peace-building tactics. This includes 
involving women in conflict prevention and resolution.
  Research covering conflicts from Northern Ireland to Africa has shown 
that peace agreements are 35 percent more likely to last at least 15 
years when women are involved. Even knowing this, women are many times 
left out during negotiations.
  The truth is that conflict knows no gender, just as peace should know 
no gender. With that said, women are many times impacted by conflict in 
different ways than their male counterparts.
  ISIL, for instance, has used human trafficking and sex slavery, which 
disproportionately impacts women, as an income-generating business for 
their terrorist activities. Women need to be able to play a major role 
in addressing this and finding solutions to combat it.
  Moreover, in many war-torn countries, women control large segments of 
the economy. In fact, women are the sole income earners in nearly one-
third of all households worldwide. While their husbands and sons are 
serving as soldiers, women are running the markets, the schools, other 
public and private institutions. By virtue of that, they are running 
the local economy and have an unmistakable voice in community 
discussions. Their understanding can prove invaluable when mitigating 
conflict and building peace.
  Particularly in areas where increased stability creates greater 
security for the United States, we must make sure that the work that we 
are doing produces lasting results.
  I am confident the Women, Peace, and Security Act and the 
accountability it provides will help produce sustainable outcomes for 
Americans, and that also touches on our national security.
  While our U.S. Government, in recent years, has made efforts to 
include women in peace negotiations, the bipartisan Women, Peace, and 
Security Act better ensures that women have a seat at the table during 
these discussions through meaningful congressional oversight. It is but 
one instrument in a toolbox our military and diplomatic leaders can use 
when looking at producing long-term results, and leaders can use it 
when looking to produce peace, but it is still a tool that we should 
not ignore.
  I am grateful to my colleagues: Representative Jan Schakowsky for all 
of her passionate work on this issue; Chairman Ed Royce and Ranking 
Member Eliot Engel for their efforts on this legislation as well.
  Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 5 
minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), the coauthor 
of this bill, a true advocate for women, and my colleague.
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Congressman 
Joaquin Castro, for yielding to me.
  I am so proud to rise in support of H.R. 2484, the Women, Peace, and 
Security Act, which I introduced along with my partner, Kristi Noem. We 
have been working on this bill for quite a while.
  I want to really thank Chairman Ed Royce for not only his eloquent 
words today and his clear description about why this is so important, 
but for working closely with us to make this day a reality. I am 
hopeful that we will be able to go through the Senate and get this bill 
finally enacted.
  The Women, Peace, and Security Act promotes the participation of 
women in the peace process and is a step forward for our security and 
our economic prosperity as well. When women are involved in peace 
negotiations, a peace agreement is more likely to last. In fact, the 
International Peace Institute found that a peace agreement is 35 
percent more likely to last for at least 15 years if women participate 
in drafting the agreement. The study also found that with each 5 
percent increase in women's participation in the political process, a 
nation is five times less likely to use violence when faced with 
international crisis or conflict.
  When women and girls are equal partners in all aspects of 
decisionmaking, countries are more likely to be peaceful and 
economically prosperous.
  Despite the strong evidence in favor of women's political 
participation, women remain underrepresented in conflict prevention, 
conflict resolution, and the post-conflict peace-building efforts that 
are happening around the world, and the United States can help to 
change that.
  The Women, Peace, and Security Act will build upon the 2011 National 
Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security, which made clear that the 
meaningful inclusion of women in peace and security processes is 
imperative for national and global security. And you heard how in 
Northern Ireland and all the way to Rwanda, the participation of women 
has been absolutely essential.
  Our legislation establishes women's participation as a permanent 
element of U.S. foreign policy. It would encourage the United States to 
assist women mediators and negotiators by addressing barriers to their 
equal and secure participation in the peace process.

  It would institute comprehensive training modules on the protection, 
rights, and specific needs of women in conflict and require the 
administration to evaluate the impact of U.S. foreign assistance on 
women's meaningful participation.
  In addition, Women, Peace, and Security Act would require the 
President to report to Congress its strategy to promote women's 
participation in conflict prevention and resolution, and it would 
empower Congress to exercise oversight of that strategy's 
implementation.
  The United States plays a crucial role in encouraging peace 
agreements all over the world. By making sure

[[Page H4974]]

that we bring women into the peace process, we can improve national and 
global security.
  So, once again, I just want to thank Congresswoman Noem, my partner 
on this bipartisan legislation, as well as Chairman Ed Royce and 
Ranking Member Eliot Engel, for their support. I want to thank the many 
advocacy groups who have been persistent throughout these years in 
bringing it to us, the evidence of the success of women when women 
participate in the peace process.
  So I thank the gentleman again for yielding.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time to close.
  Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, seeing no other speakers on my 
side, I am prepared to close as long as there are no other speakers on 
the majority side.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank, once again, Chairman Ed Royce, Ranking 
Member Engel, and Representatives Schakowsky and Noem for their hard 
work.
  I again urge a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, from Liberia to Northern Ireland, to, frankly, all over 
the planet, we have watched women play pivotal roles in pushing their 
governments, in pushing combatants and politicians to bring an end to 
conflict.
  In recent years, we have seen armed conflicts flare around the world, 
producing the largest number of refugees on record. Efforts to 
negotiate an end to these conflicts are more important than ever. We 
know that when women are included in these discussions, we are more 
likely to see an enduring peace.
  As a witness at our hearing on women's participation explained: 
``Including women is not only the right thing to do, it is the smart 
thing to do.''
  The legislation before us today will strengthen U.S. efforts to 
promote the inclusion of women in peace negotiations in order to create 
more sustainable agreements and more stable partners for the United 
States and for the U.S. allies.
  So, again, I want to thank Representatives Noem and Schakowsky for 
their bipartisan work. I also want to particularly thank the staff on 
both sides of the aisle who have worked so hard over the past couple of 
years, including Jessica Kelch, Cassandra Varanka, Brittany Comins, 
Elizabeth Cunningham, and Janice Kaguyutan. We appreciate all of your 
good work.
  Mr. Speaker, with that, I ask for an ``aye'' vote, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2484, 
the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 which expresses that the 
United States should be a global leader in promoting the meaningful 
participation of women in efforts directed at conflict prevention, 
management, and resolution.
  This bill directs the President to develop and submit to Congress a 
Women, Peace, and Security Strategy that will:
  1. Be aligned with other nations' plans to improve and encourage 
women to participate in peace and security over processes, conflict 
prevention, peace building, and decision making; and
  2. Lay out goals and evaluation plans to measure strategy 
effectiveness.
  Additionally, H.R. 2484 directs that employees and contractors of the 
Department of State, Department of Defense, and the U.S. Agency for 
International Development that personnel deployed to countries or 
regions at risk or emerging from violent conflict be provided training 
in conflict prevention, mitigation, and resolution.
  This training will allow those deployed to these regions to 
collaborate and support women who live in these conflict ridden 
communities to develop peace and security strategies.
  As a member of the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues, I 
understand the importance of women's security and its role in conflict 
prevention and resolution.
  This is why in the 114th Congress I introduced H. Res. 528 that seeks 
to create a Victims of Terror Protection Fund for the displaced 
refugees, migrants and victims of Boko Haram's terror in the region, 
many of which are women and children.
  One reason women play such a critical role in the peacebuilding 
process is because they constitute half of every community.
  Educating women and men to work in tandem is an imperative step 
toward instilling peace in communities and mending broken bonds.
  An important aspect of H.R. 2484 is the inclusion of training 
personnel who work firsthand in these conflicted regions regarding 
international human rights laws and the protection of trafficked 
people.
  Nearly 21 million people have fallen victim to human trafficking 
globally, and more than half of them are women and girls.
  These numbers are staggering, and victims who have been liberated 
from this awful slavery require special consideration and support to 
overcome the horrors they have experienced with the aid of women 
peacekeepers.
  Women serve as incredible advocates for peace as central caretakers 
of the family and have already played prominent roles in peace 
processes in the Horn of Africa.
  Overall, H.R. 2484 makes an important contribution by requiring the 
agencies that focus abroad to collaborate on incorporating women in the 
peacebuilding processes.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2484, the Women, 
Peace, and Security Act of 2017.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I would like to say a few words 
in support of Representative Kristi Noem's Women, Peace and Security 
Act (H.R. 2484). Among other things, it highlights the role women must 
play in peacemaking.
  In the limited time we have, I would just like to highlight the role 
of one woman who served as a peacemaker, whom I have had the 
opportunity to get to know--Nuala O'Loan, who served as the Police 
Ombudsman in Northern Ireland from 2000 to 2007, and someone who has 
contributed to our understanding in the Congress as she twice testified 
at hearings held on the Northern Ireland peace process.
  Baroness O'Loan--she was made a Dame of the British Empire and a 
member of the House of Lords in recognition for her role in the cause 
of peace--had the difficult task of looking into how the police handled 
the Omagh bombing. That bombing, by a splinter group of the Irish 
Republican Army, was intended to reignite sectarian tension and stop 
the movement towards peace that was memorialized in the Good Friday 
Agreement. The bomb was indiscriminate, however, killing both 
Protestant and Catholic alike, and helped underscore the need for 
peace.
  In the ensuing years, Baroness O'Loan became known as an even-handed 
intermediary. Indeed, she was so even-handed that she was criticized by 
extremists on both sides, and her retirement party was boycotted by 
hardliners from the Unionist and Republican camps. On the other hand, 
the average citizen, whether Protestant or Catholic, supported her in 
her role as Police Ombudsman in roughly equal numbers, something that 
was borne out by independent polling.
  Nuala O'Loan is but one example of a woman serving as peacemaker. 
There are many more Nualas around the world, and I applaud 
Congresswoman Noem for encouraging us to recognize the role these women 
play in helping bring a little light to the darkness.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2484.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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