[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 3, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H1450-H1452]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MALALA YOUSAFZAI SCHOLARSHIP ACT
Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4508) to expand the number of scholarships available to
Pakistani women under the Merit and Needs-Based Scholarship Program, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4508
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 ``Malala Yousafzai Scholarship
Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) In late 2008, Malala Yousafzai began making the case
for access to education for women and girls despite
objections from the Pakistani Taliban. On October 9, 2012,
Malala was shot in the head by Pakistani Taliban on her way
home from school.
(2) In 2013, Malala Yousafzai and her father Ziauddin
Yousafzai co-founded the Malala Fund. The Malala Fund works
to secure twelve years of free, safe, and quality education
for all girls. Completion of a full twelve-year cycle of
primary and secondary education ensures a pipeline of girls
able to pursue higher education.
(3) On July 12, 2013, Malala delivered a speech before the
United Nations General Assembly calling for expanded access
to education for women and girls across the globe. She said,
``[L]et us wage a glorious struggle against illiteracy,
poverty, and terrorism. Let us pick up our books and our
pens. They are the most powerful weapons . . . Education is
the only solution.''.
(4) On October 10, 2014, Malala Yousafzai became the co-
recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for her ``struggle against
the suppression of children and young people and for the
right of all children to education''.
(5) According to the United Nations 2016 Global Education
Monitoring Report, more than 130 million girls worldwide are
out of school. 15 million girls of primary-school age will
never enter a classroom. As of 2016, at least 500 million
adult women across the globe are illiterate.
(6) According to the World Bank, ``Girls' education is a
strategic development priority. Better educated women tend to
be healthier, participate more in the formal labor market,
earn higher incomes, . . . marry at a later age, and enable
better health care and education for their children, should
they choose to become mothers. All these factors combined can
help lift households, communities, and nations out of
poverty.''.
(7) In 2015, all United Nations Member States, including
the United States, adopted quality education, including
access to higher education, and gender equality as
sustainable development goals to be attained by 2030. One of
the education goal targets is to ``ensure equal access for
all women and men to affordable and quality technical,
vocational and tertiary education, including university''.
(8) In January 2010, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham
Clinton stated, ``We will open the doors of education to all
citizens, but especially to girls and women . . . We are
doing all of these things because we have seen that when
women and girls have the tools to stay healthy and the
opportunity to contribute to their families'' well-being,
they flourish and so do the people around them.
(9) In February 2019, the White House launched the Women's
Global Development and Prosperity Initiative to advance
women's economic empowerment across the globe and reach more
than 100,000 women.
(10) The World Economic Forum ranks Pakistan the second
lowest among all countries in the world evaluated for gender
equality. On educational attainment for women, Pakistan is
ranked the tenth lowest.
(11) In Pakistan, the rate of higher education enrollment
beyond high school for girls and women is just 9 percent as
reported by the World Bank. The global rate is 40 percent.
Less than 6 percent of women 25 and older in Pakistan attain
a bachelor's degree or equivalent as of 2016.
(12) Factors such as poverty, early marriage, disability,
ethnicity, and religion can contribute to the lack of
educational opportunities for women in marginalized
communities.
(13) According to the World Bank, ``Higher education
benefits both individuals and society. Economic returns for
college graduates are the highest in the entire educational
system--an average 17 percent increase in earnings per year
of schooling as compared with 10 percent for primary
school.''.
(14) The United States provides critical foreign assistance
to Pakistan's education sector to improve access to and the
quality of basic and higher education. Since 2010, the United
States Agency for International Development (referred to in
this Act as ``USAID'') has awarded more than 6,000
scholarships for young women to receive higher education in
Pakistan.
(15) The Merit and Needs-Based Scholarship Program
administered by USAID awards scholarships to academically
talented, financially needy Pakistani students from all
regions, including female students from rural areas of the
country, to pursue bachelor's or master's degrees at
participating Pakistani universities.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
(a) In General.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) every individual should have the opportunity to pursue
a full cycle of primary, secondary, and higher education;
(2) every individual, regardless of gender, socio-economic
status, ethnicity, or religion should have the opportunity to
pursue an education without fear of discrimination;
(3) educational exchanges promote institutional linkages
between the United States and Pakistan; and
(4) recipients of scholarships referred to in section 4
should commit to improving their local communities.
(b) Continued Support for Educational Initiatives in
Pakistan.--Congress encourages the Department of State and
USAID to continue their support for initiatives led by the
Government of Pakistan and civil society that promote
education in Pakistan, especially education for women, in
accordance with USAID's 2018 Education Policy.
SEC. 4. MERIT AND NEEDS-BASED SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The USAID Administrator shall award at
least 50 percent of the number of scholarships under the
Merit and Needs-Based Scholarship Program (referred to in
this Act as the ``Program'') to women for each of the
calendar years 2020 through 2022.
(b) Limitations.--
(1) Criteria.--The scholarships available under subsection
(a) may only be awarded in accordance with other scholarship
eligibility criteria already established by USAID.
(2) Academic disciplines.--Scholarships authorized under
subsection (a) shall be awarded for a range of disciplines to
improve the employability of graduates and to meet the needs
of the scholarship recipients.
(3) Other scholarships.--The USAID Administrator shall make
every effort to award 50 percent of the scholarships
available under the Program to Pakistani women.
(c) Leveraging Investment.--The USAID Administrator shall,
to the greatest extent practicable, consult with and leverage
investments by the Pakistani private sector
[[Page H1451]]
and Pakistani diaspora communities in the United States as
part of USAID's greater effort to improve the quality of,
expand access to, and ensure sustainability of education
programs in Pakistan.
SEC. 5. ANNUAL CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING.
(a) In General.--The USAID Administrator shall designate
appropriate USAID officials to brief the appropriate
congressional committees, not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for
the next 3 years, on the implementation of section 4.
(b) Contents.--The briefing described in subsection (a)
shall include, among other relevant information, for the most
recently concluded fiscal year--
(1) the total number of scholarships that were awarded
through the Program, including a breakdown by gender;
(2) the disciplines of study chosen by the scholarship
recipients;
(3) the percentage of the scholarships that were awarded to
students seeking a bachelor's degree or a master's degree,
respectively;
(4) the percentage of scholarship recipients who
voluntarily dropped out of school or were involuntarily
pushed out of the program for failure to meet program
requirements; and
(5) the percentage of scholarship recipients who dropped
out of school due to retaliation for seeking an education, to
the extent that such information is available.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline) and the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Curtis)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Rhode Island.
General Leave
Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 4508.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Rhode Island?
There was no objection.
Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, when we break down the barriers holding women back, they
lift up entire communities. Top economists back this up. The World Bank
says that financing girls' education has the highest return on
investment in the developing world. We know that the impact isn't just
economic. When girls have access to education, they can inspire
millions, empower their communities, and change the world.
Look at Malala Yousafzai. Malala bravely put her education to use by
blogging about the brutality of Taliban rule in her hometown and
advocating for girls' rights to education.
The Pakistani Taliban tried to silence her with a violent attack on
her life. She survived, and she didn't back down. Malala's continued
commitment to advancing women's rights and expanding access to
education has resonated with millions of people and spurred action
around the world.
When we look at Malala, we see an inspiring source of strength, of
dedication, and of bravery. We also see what women are capable of when
they have the opportunity to go to school and use their voices. So, I
am pleased that we are moving forward this bill named in Malala's honor
that will strengthen the United States' investments in educational
opportunities for Pakistani girls.
The Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act will require that at least 50
percent of USAID's Merit and Needs-Based Scholarships in Pakistan are
awarded to women.
I want to thank my colleague and friend from New York (Mr. Jeffries)
for introducing this excellent measure. I am proud to support it, and I
urge all my colleagues to join me in doing so.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this bill which reauthorizes
a USAID Merit and Needs-Based Scholarship program named after Malala
Yousafzai.
Malala is a Pakistani activist who began making the case for access
to education for women and girls in 2008 despite objections from the
Pakistani Taliban.
In October 2012, she was shot in the head by the Taliban in an
assassination attempt in retaliation for her activism. Malala, just 15
years old at the time, miraculously survived and continues to fight for
access to education for every child.
I want to thank my colleagues, Congressman Jeffries and Congresswoman
Wagner, for introducing this bill and for their work on this issue.
Specifically, this bill authorizes for 3 years a USAID Merit and
Needs-Based Scholarship program to academically talented, financially
needy Pakistani students to pursue a bachelor's or master's degree at
participating Pakistani universities. At least half of the number of
scholarships shall go to women, and the administrator shall make every
effort to award at least half of the scholarships under the program to
go to Pakistani women.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I just want to, again, really speak to the importance of
this resolution, because we have examples all over the world of where,
when women are empowered, it lifts up an entire community; and that
when women have a voice, they not only contribute to their own
empowerment, their own development, and their own success, but have an
enormous, positive impact on their local communities in the regions in
which they live.
It has often been said that one of the best investments we can make
is in education, and I think Malala's story is an example of the
transformative power of education, not only in terms of economic
security, but in terms of building democracy and civil society.
So this legislation will ensure that we intentionally and
purposefully invest in young women and girls because of not only the
impact it will have on their own lives but what it will mean to the
communities they are a part of.
I want to really applaud the chief sponsor of this, my friend and
colleague, Hakeem Jeffries, the chair of the Democratic Caucus, who has
really made this a priority in his work.
During discussions in the Foreign Affairs Committee there was
bipartisan recognition of the significant investment in women and
girls; that that had to be a priority, and that it would be a tool to
advancing economic success, to advancing educational success, and to
really help build a civil society. These are very often regions which,
for a very long time, women and girls were excluded from those
opportunities.
So this resolution will be really transformative and will really help
to ensure that Pakistan can serve as a model for what happens when you
actually invest in women and girls and the difference it can make in
the societies in that country that will be an example, I think, to the
rest of the world.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I applaud the words of my colleague. I would add to that
just a few thoughts. My mother grew up on a farm in Dingle, Idaho. Her
high school class had eight people in it, and she traveled to New York
City to get a master's degree from New York University.
I am so pleased for the women in my life and in our community who
have led the way, but acknowledge, Mr. Speaker, that so many people
around the world don't have that same opportunity. For that, I applaud
my colleagues for the work on this bill and for promoting this very
important issue.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the very
distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries), who is the author
of this very important piece of legislation, the Democratic Caucus
chair, and my friend.
Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the distinguished
gentleman from Rhode Island, for yielding and for his leadership.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4508, a bill to expand the
pipeline of women and girls in Pakistan entering higher education.
At home and abroad, women and girls face barriers to obtaining
education, hindering their ability to fill their potential. Barriers
include the cost of education, inadequate infrastructure, violence,
cultural norms, and gender discrimination. As a result, today at least
500 million women and girls across the globe struggle with literacy.
In Pakistan, the hurdles that women and girls face when seeking
education
[[Page H1452]]
are especially pronounced. In late 2008, Malala, whose name this bill
is in honor of, began making the case for education for women and girls
in Pakistan. Despite objections from the Taliban, she continued to
advocate this cause at great personal risk.
On October 9, 2012, Malala was on the way home when the Taliban
ambushed her bus and shot her in the head. Remarkably, she survived.
Instead of stopping her efforts, she continued to speak out, to stand
up, and to step out, becoming a world-renowned figure in the fight for
education.
As she said before the United Nations General Assembly: ``So, let us
wage a glorious struggle against illiteracy, poverty, and terrorism,
let us pick up our books and our pens, they are the most powerful
weapons. . . . Education is the only solution.''
In October 2014, Malala became a corecipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
for her struggle against the suppression of children and young people
and for the right of all children to education.
To this day Malala continues her work in this area.
Still, despite all the progress that has been made, only 32 percent
of primary school-age girls are in school in Pakistan. After primary
and secondary school, the rate of higher education enrollment for girls
drops down to just 9 percent. Less than 6 percent of women 25 and older
attain a bachelor's degree or equivalent in Pakistan.
The U.S. Agency For International Development's Merit and Needs-Based
Scholarship program currently funds full tuition and stipends for
financially strained Pakistani youth to complete a bachelor's or
master's degree at partner universities across Pakistan. This
legislation would ensure that at least half of those scholarship
recipients go to Pakistani women. Empowering girls with access to
education is not just the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to
do for Pakistan and for the global community.
I want to thank Chairman Engel and Ranking Member McCaul of the
Foreign Affairs Committee for their leadership. I also want to thank
Congresswoman Ann Wagner for her tremendous leadership and for her
partnership on this legislation to support every girl's right to an
education.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I again want to thank my
colleagues for their hard work to expand the number of scholarships
available to Pakistani women under USAID's Merit and Needs-Based
Scholarship Program.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for
the purpose of closing.
Mr. Speaker, again, I want to acknowledge the extraordinary work of
USAID and their focus on education and how critical that is to the
development of communities all across the world and, importantly, that
we fully fund USAID's efforts, and also to recognize that this focus on
education is a focus that continues to pay dividends.
I particularly want to acknowledge the leadership of Chairman
Jeffries in recognizing the particular responsibility that we have to
invest in women and girls and what a transformative difference that
makes in countries. Pakistan will be able to show the world the
difference that it makes when you give women and girls an opportunity
to realize their full potential. This act will ensure that at least
half of those scholarships go to girls. It is a very important piece of
legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support it, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4508, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________