[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 155 (Wednesday, September 27, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1280]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY ACT OF 2017

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. LOIS FRANKEL

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 25, 2017

  Ms. FRANKEL of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this 
critical bill that will help ensure that women have a meaningful role 
in peace and security around the world. From Syria to Myanmar to South 
Sudan, violent conflicts are becoming more widespread and deadly. Women 
in conflict zones suffer tremendously, and women and girls make up 
around half of any refugee population, where they are at risk of 
unspeakable violence.
  But women are not only victims. They also help moderate violent 
extremism and are key to post-conflict society building. Yet so few are 
present at the tables of power. In peace processes between 1992 and 
2011, women made up only 9 percent of negotiators. When women have a 
seat at the table, the prospect that peace negotiations will succeed 
rise significantly, as does the likelihood that women's rights and 
interests will be addressed. A recent study from 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 its drafting.
  This legislation would require a governmentwide strategy to promote 
women's participation, and institutes training for State Department, 
USAID, and Pentagon personnel to facilitate women's engagement in 
conflict prevention and resolution.
  I'd like to commend the progress made under President Obama on this 
issue, which includes issuing the National Action Plan on Women, Peace 
and Security. In the last five years alone, the percentage of peace 
agreements referencing gender equality has increased from 22 to 70 
percent.
  We have an opportunity to make our voice heard on the issue of women 
in conflict. The UN Security Council will convene next month to hold 
its open debate on Women, Peace and Security. The United States should 
highlight its commitment to ensuring women's equal participation in 
peacemaking, and protecting their physical and economic security. That 
begins with sending a high-level delegation.
  I urge adoption of the bill.

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