[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 111 (Tuesday, June 16, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3019-S3022]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUPPORTING THE GOALS OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
Mr. GARDNER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 472, S. Res. 533.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The bill clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 533) supporting the goals of
International Women's Day.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. There being no objection, the Senate proceeded
to consider the resolution, which had been reported from the Committee
on Foreign Relations, with an amendment to strike all after the
resolving clause and insert the part printed in italic, and with an
amendment to strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic,
as follows
S. Res. 533
Whereas, as of March 2020, there are approximately
3,764,000,000 women and girls in the world;
Whereas women and girls around the world--
(1) have fundamental human rights;
(2) play a critical role in providing and caring for their
families and driving positive change in their communities;
(3) contribute substantially to food security, economic
growth, the prevention and resolution of conflict, and the
sustainability of peace and stability; and
(4) must have meaningful opportunities to more fully
participate in and lead the political, social, and economic
lives of their communities;
Whereas the advancement and empowerment of women and girls
around the world is a foreign policy priority for the United
States and is critical to the achievement of global peace and
prosperity;
Whereas 2020 marks the anniversary of significant
milestones toward advancing the human rights and equality of
women and girls, including--
(1) the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in the United
States; and
(2) the 20th anniversary of the Women, Peace, and Security
Agenda, which was established through the unanimous adoption
of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 in October
2000;
Whereas the National Security Strategy of the United
States, published in December 2017--
(1) declares that ``[s]ocieties that empower women to
participate fully in civic and economic life are more
prosperous and peaceful'';
(2) supports ``efforts to advance women's equality, protect
the rights of women and girls, and promote women and youth
empowerment programs''; and
(3) recognizes that ``governments that fail to treat women
equally do not allow their societies to reach their
potential'';
Whereas, on October 6, 2017, the Women, Peace, and Security
Act of 2017 (22 U.S.C. 2152j et seq.) was enacted into law,
which includes requirements for a government-wide ``Women,
Peace, and Security Strategy'' to promote and strengthen the
participation of women in peace negotiations and conflict
prevention overseas, enhanced training for relevant United
States Government personnel, and follow-up evaluations of the
effectiveness of the strategy;
Whereas the United States Strategy on Women, Peace, and
Security, dated June 2019, recognizes that--
(1) the ``[s]ocial and political marginalization of women
strongly correlates with the likelihood that a country will
experience conflict'';
(2) there is a ``tremendous amount of untapped potential
among the world's women and girls to identify, recommend, and
implement effective solutions to conflict'', and there are
``benefits derived from creating opportunities for women and
girls to serve as agents of peace via political, economic,
and social empowerment''; and
(3) barriers to the meaningful participation of women and
girls in conflict prevention and resolution efforts ``include
under-representation in political leadership, pervasive
violence against women and girls, and persistent inequality
in many societies'';
Whereas, according to the United Nations Entity for Gender
Equality and the Empowerment of Women (commonly referred to
as ``UN Women''), peace negotiations are more likely to end
in a peace agreement when women and women's groups play a
meaningful role in the negotiation process;
Whereas, according to a study by the International Peace
Institute, a peace agreement is 35 percent more likely to
last at least 15 years if women participate in the
development of the peace agreement;
Whereas there are 83 national action plans relating to the
empowerment of women around the world, 11 regional action
plans, and at least 9 additional national action plans in
development;
Whereas the joint strategy of the Department of State and
the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID) entitled ``Department of State & USAID Joint Strategy
on Countering Violent Extremism'' and dated May 2016--
(1) notes that women can play a critical role in
identifying and addressing drivers of violent extremism in
their families, communities, and broader society; and
(2) commits to supporting programs that engage women ``as
key stakeholders in preventing and countering violent
extremism in their communities'';
Whereas, according to the Bureau of International Narcotics
and Law Enforcement Affairs of the Department of State, the
full and meaningful participation of women in criminal
justice professions and security forces vastly enhances the
effectiveness of the security forces;
Whereas, despite the contributions of women to society,
hundreds of millions of women and girls around the world
continue to be denied the right to participate freely in
civic and economic life, lack fundamental legal protections,
and remain vulnerable to exploitation and abuse;
Whereas, every year, approximately 12,000,000 girls are
married before they reach the age of 18, which means that--
(1) nearly 33,000 girls are married every day; or
(2) nearly 23 girls are married every minute;
Whereas, despite global progress, it is predicted that by
2030 more than 150,000,000 more girls will marry before
reaching the age of 18, and approximately 2,400,000 girls who
are married before reaching the age of 18 are under the age
of 15;
Whereas girls living in countries affected by conflict or
other humanitarian crises are often the most vulnerable to
child marriage, and 9 of the 10 countries with the highest
rates of child marriage are considered fragile or extremely
fragile;
[[Page S3020]]
Whereas, according to the International Labour
Organization, 71 percent of the estimated 40,300,000 victims
of modern slavery in 2016 were women or girls;
Whereas, according to the United Nation's Children's Fund
(commonly referred to as ``UNICEF'')--
(1) approximately \1/4\ of girls between the ages of 15 and
19 have been victims of some form of physical violence;
(2) approximately 120,000,000 girls worldwide, slightly
more than 1 in 10, have experienced forced sexual acts; and
(3) an estimated 1 in 3 women around the world has
experienced some form of physical or sexual violence;
Whereas, according to the 2018 report of the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime entitled ``Global Report on
Trafficking in Persons'', from 2003 to 2018, 72 percent of
all detected trafficking victims were women or girls;
Whereas, on August 10, 2012, the United States Government
launched a strategy entitled ``United States Strategy to
Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally'',
which is the first interagency strategy that--
(1) addresses gender-based violence around the world;
(2) advances the rights and status of women and girls;
(3) promotes gender equality in United States foreign
policy; and
(4) works to bring about a world in which all individuals
can pursue their aspirations without the threat of violence;
Whereas, in June 2016, the Department of State released an
update to that strategy, underscoring that ``[p]reventing and
responding to gender-based violence is a cornerstone of the
U.S. Government's commitment to advancing human rights and
promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and
girls'';
Whereas, despite the achievements of individual female
leaders and evidence that democracy and equality under the
law form a mutually reinforcing relationship in which higher
levels of equality are strongly correlated with the relative
state of peace of a country, a healthier domestic security
environment, and lower levels of aggression toward other
countries--
(1) women around the world remain vastly underrepresented
in--
(A) national and local legislatures and governments; and
(B) other high-level positions; and
(2) according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, women
account for only 25 percent of national parliamentarians and
21 percent of government ministers;
Whereas the ability of women and girls to realize their
full potential is critical to the ability of a country to
achieve strong and lasting economic growth, self-reliance,
and political and social stability;
Whereas the overall level of violence against women is a
better predictor of the peacefulness of a country, the
compliance of a country with international treaty
obligations, and the relations of a country with neighboring
countries than indicators measuring the level of democracy,
level of wealth, or level of institutionalization of the
country;
Whereas, although the United Nations Millennium Project
reached the goal of achieving gender parity in primary
education in most countries in 2015, more work remains to be
done to achieve gender equality in primary and secondary
education, and particularly in secondary education worldwide
as gender gaps persist and widen, by addressing--
(1) discriminatory practices;
(2) harmful cultural and social norms;
(3) inadequate sanitation facilities, including facilities
to manage menstruation;
(4) child, early, and forced marriage;
(5) poverty;
(6) early pregnancy and motherhood;
(7) conflict and insecurity; and
(8) other factors that favor boys or devalue girls'
education;
Whereas, according to the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization--
(1) approximately 132,000,000 girls between the ages of 6
and 17 remain out of school;
(2) girls living in countries affected by conflict are 2.5
times more likely to be out of primary school than boys;
(3) girls are twice as likely as boys to never set foot in
a classroom; and
(4) up to 30 percent of girls who drop out of school do so
because of adolescent pregnancy or child marriage;
Whereas women around the world face a variety of
constraints that severely limit their economic participation
and productivity and remain underrepresented in the labor
force;
Whereas the economic empowerment of women is inextricably
linked to a myriad of other human rights that are essential
to the ability of women to thrive as economic actors,
including--
(1) living lives free of violence and exploitation;
(2) achieving the highest possible standard of health and
well-being;
(3) enjoying full legal and human rights, such as access to
registration, identification, and citizenship documents, and
freedom of movement;
(4) access to formal and informal education;
(5) access to, and equal protection under, land and
property rights;
(6) access to fundamental labor rights;
(7) the implementation of policies to address
disproportionate care burdens; and
(8) receiving business and management skills and leadership
opportunities;
Whereas closing the global gender gap in labor markets
could increase worldwide gross domestic product by as much as
$28,000,000,000,000 by 2025;
Whereas, pursuant to section 3(b) of the Women's
Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act of 2018 (22
U.S.C. 2151-2(b)), it is the international development
cooperation policy of the United States--
(1) to reduce gender disparities with respect to economic,
social, political, educational, and cultural resources, as
well as wealth, opportunities, and services;
(2) to strive to eliminate gender-based violence and
mitigate its harmful effects on individuals and communities,
including through efforts to develop standards and capacity
to reduce gender-based violence in the workplace and other
places where women work;
(3) to support activities that secure private property
rights and land tenure for women in developing countries,
including--
(A) supporting legal frameworks that give women equal
rights to own, register, use, profit from, and inherit land
and property;
(B) improving legal literacy to enable women to exercise
the rights described in subparagraph (A); and
(C) improving the capacity of law enforcement and
community leaders to enforce such rights;
(4) to increase the capability of women and girls to fully
exercise their rights, determine their life outcomes, assume
leadership roles, and influence decision making in
households, communities, and societies; and
(5) to improve the access of women and girls to education,
particularly higher education opportunities in business,
finance, and management, in order to enhance financial
literacy and business development, management, and strategy
skills;
Whereas, pursuant to National Security Presidential
Memorandum 16, entitled ``Promoting Women's Global
Development and Prosperity'', ``It is the policy of the
United States to enhance the opportunity for women to
meaningfully participate in, contribute to, and benefit from
economic opportunities as individuals, workers, consumers,
innovators, entrepreneurs, and investors, so that they enjoy
the same access, rights, and opportunities as men to
participate in, contribute to, control, and benefit from
economic activity.'';
Whereas, according to the World Health Organization, global
maternal mortality decreased by approximately 44 percent
between 1990 and 2015, yet approximately 830 women and girls
continue to die from preventable causes relating to pregnancy
or childbirth each day, and 99 percent of all maternal deaths
occur in developing countries;
Whereas, according to the United Nations, of the 830 women
and adolescent girls who die every day from preventable
causes relating to pregnancy and childbirth, 507 die each day
in countries that are considered fragile because of conflict
or disaster, accounting for approximately \3/5\ of all
maternal deaths worldwide;
Whereas the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees reports that women and girls comprise
approximately \1/2\ of the 67,200,000 refugees and internally
displaced or stateless individuals in the world;
Whereas women and girls in humanitarian emergencies,
including those subject to forced displacement, face
increased and exacerbated vulnerabilities to--
(1) gender-based violence, including, rape, child marriage,
domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual exploitation
and assault;
(2) disruptions in education and livelihood;
(3) lack of access to health services; and
(4) food insecurity and malnutrition;
Whereas malnutrition poses a variety of threats to women
and girls specifically, as malnutrition can weaken their
immune systems, making them more susceptible to infections,
and affects their capacity to survive childbirth, and
children born of malnourished women and girls are more likely
to have cognitive impairments and higher risk of disease
throughout their lives;
Whereas it is imperative--
(1) to alleviate violence and discrimination against women
and girls; and
(2) to afford women and girls every opportunity to be full
and productive members of their communities; and
Whereas March 8, 2020, is recognized as International
Women's Day, a global day--
(1) to celebrate the economic, political, and social
achievements of women in the past, present, and future; and
(2) to recognize the obstacles that women face in the
struggle for equal rights and opportunities: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) supports the goals of International Women's Day;
(2) recognizes that the fundamental human rights of women
and girls have intrinsic value that affect the quality of
life of women and girls;
(3) recognizes that the empowerment of women and girls is
inextricably linked to the potential of a country to
generate--
(A) economic growth and self-reliance;
(B) sustainable peace and democracy; and
(C) inclusive security;
(4) recognizes and honors individuals in the United States
and around the world, including women human rights defenders,
activists, and civil society leaders, who have worked
throughout history to ensure that women and girls are
guaranteed equality and fundamental human rights;
(5) recognizes the unique cultural, historical, and
religious differences throughout the world and urges the
United States Government to act with respect and
understanding toward legitimate differences when promoting
any policies;
(6) reaffirms the commitment--
(A) to end discrimination and violence against women and
girls;
(B) to ensure the safety, health, and welfare of women and
girls;
[[Page S3021]]
(C) to pursue policies that guarantee the fundamental human
rights of women and girls worldwide; and
(D) to promote meaningful and significant participation of
women in every aspect of society and community, including
conflict prevention, protection, peacemaking, and
peacebuilding;
(7) supports sustainable, measurable, and global
development that seeks to achieve gender equality and the
empowerment of women and girls; and
(8) encourages the people of the United States to observe
International Women's Day with appropriate programs and
activities.
Mr. GARDNER. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported
substitute amendment to the resolution be agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment in the nature of a substitute was
agreed to.
Mr. GARDNER. Madam President, I know of no further debate on the
resolution, as amended.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate?
Hearing none, the question is on adoption of the resolution, as
amended.
The resolution (S. Res. 533), as amended, was agreed to.
Mr. GARDNER. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported
amendment to the preamble be agreed to; that the preamble, as amended,
be agreed to; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and
laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment to the preamble in the nature of a
substitute was agreed to.
The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
The resolution, as amended, with its preamble, as amended, reads as
follows
S. Res. 533
Whereas, as of March 2020, there are approximately
3,764,000,000 women and girls in the world;
Whereas women and girls around the world--
(1) have fundamental human rights;
(2) play a critical role in providing and caring for their
families and driving positive change in their communities;
(3) contribute substantially to food security, economic
growth, the prevention and resolution of conflict, and the
sustainability of peace and stability; and
(4) must have meaningful opportunities to more fully
participate in and lead the political, social, and economic
lives of their communities;
Whereas the advancement and empowerment of women and girls
around the world is a foreign policy priority for the United
States and is critical to the achievement of global peace and
prosperity;
Whereas 2020 marks the anniversary of significant
milestones toward advancing the human rights and equality of
women and girls, including--
(1) the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in the United
States; and
(2) the 20th anniversary of the Women, Peace, and Security
Agenda, which was established through the unanimous adoption
of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 in October
2000;
Whereas the National Security Strategy of the United
States, published in December 2017--
(1) declares that ``[s]ocieties that empower women to
participate fully in civic and economic life are more
prosperous and peaceful'';
(2) supports ``efforts to advance women's equality, protect
the rights of women and girls, and promote women and youth
empowerment programs''; and
(3) recognizes that ``governments that fail to treat women
equally do not allow their societies to reach their
potential'';
Whereas, on October 6, 2017, the Women, Peace, and Security
Act of 2017 (22 U.S.C. 2152j et seq.) was enacted into law,
which includes requirements for a government-wide ``Women,
Peace, and Security Strategy'' to promote and strengthen the
participation of women in peace negotiations and conflict
prevention overseas, enhanced training for relevant United
States Government personnel, and follow-up evaluations of the
effectiveness of the strategy;
Whereas the United States Strategy on Women, Peace, and
Security, dated June 2019, recognizes that--
(1) the ``[s]ocial and political marginalization of women
strongly correlates with the likelihood that a country will
experience conflict'';
(2) there is a ``tremendous amount of untapped potential
among the world's women and girls to identify, recommend, and
implement effective solutions to conflict'', and there are
``benefits derived from creating opportunities for women and
girls to serve as agents of peace via political, economic,
and social empowerment''; and
(3) barriers to the meaningful participation of women and
girls in conflict prevention and resolution efforts ``include
under-representation in political leadership, pervasive
violence against women and girls, and persistent inequality
in many societies'';
Whereas, according to the United Nations Entity for Gender
Equality and the Empowerment of Women (commonly referred to
as ``UN Women''), peace negotiations are more likely to end
in a peace agreement when women and women's groups play a
meaningful role in the negotiation process;
Whereas, according to a study by the International Peace
Institute, a peace agreement is 35 percent more likely to
last at least 15 years if women participate in the
development of the peace agreement;
Whereas there are 83 national action plans relating to the
empowerment of women around the world, 11 regional action
plans, and at least 9 additional national action plans in
development;
Whereas the joint strategy of the Department of State and
the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID) entitled ``Department of State & USAID Joint Strategy
on Countering Violent Extremism'' and dated May 2016--
(1) notes that women can play a critical role in
identifying and addressing drivers of violent extremism in
their families, communities, and broader society; and
(2) commits to supporting programs that engage women ``as
key stakeholders in preventing and countering violent
extremism in their communities'';
Whereas, according to the Bureau of International Narcotics
and Law Enforcement Affairs of the Department of State, the
full and meaningful participation of women in criminal
justice professions and security forces vastly enhances the
effectiveness of the security forces;
Whereas, despite the contributions of women to society,
hundreds of millions of women and girls around the world
continue to be denied the right to participate freely in
civic and economic life, lack fundamental legal protections,
and remain vulnerable to exploitation and abuse;
Whereas, every year, approximately 12,000,000 girls are
married before they reach the age of 18, which means that--
(1) nearly 33,000 girls are married every day; or
(2) nearly 23 girls are married every minute;
Whereas, despite global progress, it is predicted that by
2030 more than 150,000,000 more girls will marry before
reaching the age of 18, and approximately 2,400,000 girls who
are married before reaching the age of 18 are under the age
of 15;
Whereas girls living in countries affected by conflict or
other humanitarian crises are often the most vulnerable to
child marriage, and 9 of the 10 countries with the highest
rates of child marriage are considered fragile or extremely
fragile;
Whereas, according to the International Labour
Organization, 71 percent of the estimated 40,300,000 victims
of modern slavery in 2016 were women or girls;
Whereas, according to the United Nation's Children's Fund
(commonly referred to as ``UNICEF'')--
(1) approximately \1/4\ of girls between the ages of 15 and
19 have been victims of some form of physical violence;
(2) approximately 120,000,000 girls worldwide, slightly
more than 1 in 10, have experienced forced sexual acts; and
(3) an estimated 1 in 3 women around the world has
experienced some form of physical or sexual violence;
Whereas, according to the 2018 report of the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime entitled ``Global Report on
Trafficking in Persons'', from 2003 to 2018, 72 percent of
all detected trafficking victims were women or girls;
Whereas, on August 10, 2012, the United States Government
launched a strategy entitled ``United States Strategy to
Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally'',
which is the first interagency strategy that--
(1) addresses gender-based violence around the world;
(2) advances the rights and status of women and girls;
(3) promotes gender equality in United States foreign
policy; and
(4) works to bring about a world in which all individuals
can pursue their aspirations without the threat of violence;
Whereas, in June 2016, the Department of State released an
update to that strategy, underscoring that ``[p]reventing and
responding to gender-based violence is a cornerstone of the
U.S. Government's commitment to advancing human rights and
promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and
girls'';
Whereas, despite the achievements of individual female
leaders and evidence that democracy and equality under the
law form a mutually reinforcing relationship in which higher
levels of equality are strongly correlated with the relative
state of peace of a country, a healthier domestic security
environment, and lower levels of aggression toward other
countries--
(1) women around the world remain vastly underrepresented
in--
(A) national and local legislatures and governments; and
(B) other high-level positions; and
(2) according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, women
account for only 25 percent of national parliamentarians and
21 percent of government ministers;
Whereas the ability of women and girls to realize their
full potential is critical to the ability of a country to
achieve strong and
[[Page S3022]]
lasting economic growth, self-reliance, and political and
social stability;
Whereas the overall level of violence against women is a
better predictor of the peacefulness of a country, the
compliance of a country with international treaty
obligations, and the relations of a country with neighboring
countries than indicators measuring the level of democracy,
level of wealth, or level of institutionalization of the
country;
Whereas, although the United Nations Millennium Project
reached the goal of achieving gender parity in primary
education in most countries in 2015, more work remains to be
done to achieve gender equality in primary and secondary
education, and particularly in secondary education worldwide
as gender gaps persist and widen, by addressing--
(1) discriminatory practices;
(2) harmful cultural and social norms;
(3) inadequate sanitation facilities, including facilities
to manage menstruation;
(4) child, early, and forced marriage;
(5) poverty;
(6) early pregnancy and motherhood;
(7) conflict and insecurity; and
(8) other factors that favor boys or devalue girls'
education;
Whereas, according to the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization--
(1) approximately 132,000,000 girls between the ages of 6
and 17 remain out of school;
(2) girls living in countries affected by conflict are 2.5
times more likely to be out of primary school than boys;
(3) girls are twice as likely as boys to never set foot in
a classroom; and
(4) up to 30 percent of girls who drop out of school do so
because of adolescent pregnancy or child marriage;
Whereas women around the world face a variety of
constraints that severely limit their economic participation
and productivity and remain underrepresented in the labor
force;
Whereas the economic empowerment of women is inextricably
linked to a myriad of other human rights that are essential
to the ability of women to thrive as economic actors,
including--
(1) living lives free of violence and exploitation;
(2) achieving the highest possible standard of health and
well-being;
(3) enjoying full legal and human rights, such as access to
registration, identification, and citizenship documents, and
freedom of movement;
(4) access to formal and informal education;
(5) access to, and equal protection under, land and
property rights;
(6) access to fundamental labor rights;
(7) the implementation of policies to address
disproportionate care burdens; and
(8) receiving business and management skills and leadership
opportunities;
Whereas closing the global gender gap in labor markets
could increase worldwide gross domestic product by as much as
$28,000,000,000,000 by 2025;
Whereas, pursuant to section 3(b) of the Women's
Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act of 2018 (22
U.S.C. 2151-2(b)), it is the international development
cooperation policy of the United States--
(1) to reduce gender disparities with respect to economic,
social, political, educational, and cultural resources, as
well as wealth, opportunities, and services;
(2) to strive to eliminate gender-based violence and
mitigate its harmful effects on individuals and communities,
including through efforts to develop standards and capacity
to reduce gender-based violence in the workplace and other
places where women work;
(3) to support activities that secure private property
rights and land tenure for women in developing countries,
including--
(A) supporting legal frameworks that give women equal
rights to own, register, use, profit from, and inherit land
and property;
(B) improving legal literacy to enable women to exercise
the rights described in subparagraph (A); and
(C) improving the capacity of law enforcement and
community leaders to enforce such rights;
(4) to increase the capability of women and girls to fully
exercise their rights, determine their life outcomes, assume
leadership roles, and influence decision making in
households, communities, and societies; and
(5) to improve the access of women and girls to education,
particularly higher education opportunities in business,
finance, and management, in order to enhance financial
literacy and business development, management, and strategy
skills;
Whereas, pursuant to National Security Presidential
Memorandum 16, entitled ``Promoting Women's Global
Development and Prosperity'', ``It is the policy of the
United States to enhance the opportunity for women to
meaningfully participate in, contribute to, and benefit from
economic opportunities as individuals, workers, consumers,
innovators, entrepreneurs, and investors, so that they enjoy
the same access, rights, and opportunities as men to
participate in, contribute to, control, and benefit from
economic activity.'';
Whereas, according to the World Health Organization, global
maternal mortality decreased by approximately 44 percent
between 1990 and 2015, yet approximately 830 women and girls
continue to die from preventable causes relating to pregnancy
or childbirth each day, and 99 percent of all maternal deaths
occur in developing countries;
Whereas, according to the United Nations, of the 830 women
and adolescent girls who die every day from preventable
causes relating to pregnancy and childbirth, 507 die each day
in countries that are considered fragile because of conflict
or disaster, accounting for approximately \3/5\ of all
maternal deaths worldwide;
Whereas the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees reports that women and girls comprise
approximately \1/2\ of the 67,200,000 refugees and internally
displaced or stateless individuals in the world;
Whereas women and girls in humanitarian emergencies,
including those subject to forced displacement, face
increased and exacerbated vulnerabilities to--
(1) gender-based violence, including, rape, child marriage,
domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual exploitation
and assault;
(2) disruptions in education and livelihood;
(3) lack of access to health services; and
(4) food insecurity and malnutrition;
Whereas malnutrition poses a variety of threats to women
and girls specifically, as malnutrition can weaken their
immune systems, making them more susceptible to infections,
and affects their capacity to survive childbirth, and
children born of malnourished women and girls are more likely
to have cognitive impairments and higher risk of disease
throughout their lives;
Whereas it is imperative--
(1) to alleviate violence and discrimination against women
and girls; and
(2) to afford women and girls every opportunity to be full
and productive members of their communities; and
Whereas March 8, 2020, is recognized as International
Women's Day, a global day--
(1) to celebrate the economic, political, and social
achievements of women in the past, present, and future; and
(2) to recognize the obstacles that women face in the
struggle for equal rights and opportunities: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) supports the goals of International Women's Day;
(2) recognizes that the fundamental human rights of women
and girls have intrinsic value that affect the quality of
life of women and girls;
(3) recognizes that the empowerment of women and girls is
inextricably linked to the potential of a country to
generate--
(A) economic growth and self-reliance;
(B) sustainable peace and democracy; and
(C) inclusive security;
(4) recognizes and honors individuals in the United States
and around the world, including women human rights defenders,
activists, and civil society leaders, who have worked
throughout history to ensure that women and girls are
guaranteed equality and fundamental human rights;
(5) recognizes the unique cultural, historical, and
religious differences throughout the world and urges the
United States Government to act with respect and
understanding toward legitimate differences when promoting
any policies;
(6) reaffirms the commitment--
(A) to end discrimination and violence against women and
girls;
(B) to ensure the safety, health, and welfare of women and
girls;
(C) to pursue policies that guarantee the fundamental human
rights of women and girls worldwide; and
(D) to promote meaningful and significant participation of
women in every aspect of society and community, including
conflict prevention, protection, peacemaking, and
peacebuilding;
(7) supports sustainable, measurable, and global
development that seeks to achieve gender equality and the
empowerment of women and girls; and
(8) encourages the people of the United States to observe
International Women's Day with appropriate programs and
activities.
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