[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 173 (Thursday, October 31, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S6338]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. COLLINS (for herself and Mr. Cardin):
  S. 2766. A bill to support and expand civic engagement and political 
leadership of adolescent girls around the world, and other purposes; to 
the Committee on Foreign Relations.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, today I am pleased to be joined by my 
friend and colleague from Maryland, Senator Cardin, to introduce the 
Girls Leadership, Engagement, and Advocacy in Development, or Girls 
LEAD, Act. Our legislation would support and expand civic engagement 
and political leadership of adolescent girls around the world.
  Despite comprising over 50 percent of the world's population, women 
are underrepresented at all levels of public sector decision-making. 
Recently, Congress has taken steps to combat this issue with new laws, 
including the Women, Peace, and Security Act and the Women's 
Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act. The Girls LEAD Act will 
complement these efforts by specifically addressing the civic 
involvement and leadership of adolescent girls, an area where there is 
currently a gap in U.S. foreign assistance programing. The United 
States can help foster a pipeline of adolescent girls who will aspire 
to assume leadership roles in their communities.
  Adolescence is a pivotal time in a girl's life that brings about 
significant physical, emotional, and social changes. Yet, according to 
UNESCO, 132 million adolescent girls between the age of 6 and 17 are 
not enrolled in school. As reported by UNICEF, more than 150 million 
girls will marry as children by 2030. It is vitally important that 
girls and young women in childhood are empowered, and that we invest in 
their leadership potential early so that they can develop pathways to 
positions of political leadership and civic engagement.
  The Girls LEAD Act would combat these terrible statistics by making 
it the policy of the United States to promote and ensure that all 
adolescents are able to fully participate in society, and are 
specifically able to exercise their civil and political rights in their 
communities and countries. We know that women's political participation 
results in tangible change for democracies and the United States must 
continue to be a leader in this arena.
  Specifically, our legislation would direct the Department of State 
and the U.S. Agency for International Development to implement a 
strategy that strengthens adolescent girls' participation in democracy 
and governance. This strategy would include U.S. foreign assistance 
programs that focus on increasing adolescent girls' civic and political 
knowledge, advocacy, leadership, and research skills, while addressing 
the common barriers that can preclude their participation. The bill 
would require that this strategy be developed in consultation with 
civil society, including the participation of adolescent girls.
  As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, for years 
I have pushed to set aside resources in the annual State Department 
funding bill for women's leadership and political participation 
programs, and I have seen first-hand the positive effects of greater 
political involvement on the part of women here in the United States. I 
believe our Nation can and must continue its leadership role in 
empowering women and girls worldwide, and turning more attention to the 
civic engagement of adolescent girls will help advance that mission.
  I urge my colleagues to join me and Senator Cardin in supporting the 
Girls LEAD Act, which will help to improve and create a more secure 
world now and in the future.

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