[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 17 (Thursday, January 28, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E71]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                    SAFE FROM THE START ACT OF 2021

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GRACE MENG

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 28, 2021

  Ms. MENG. Madam Speaker, I rise today to announce the reintroduction 
of the Safe from the Start Act of 2021. This bill will reduce 
incidences of gender-based violence (GBV); ensure quality services for 
survivors from the very onset of emergencies through timely and 
effective humanitarian action; and promote standards for prevention, 
mitigation and response to such crises.
  The largest flow of refugees in recorded history are being forced 
from their home countries and their time spent displaced has increased 
from years to generations. Climate change continues to spur temporary 
and permanent displacement, as floods and fires destroy homes and 
livelihoods.
  During times of crisis, GBV increases as chaos and tensions within 
households and communities grow. An estimated 1 in 5 women in conflict 
settings have experienced sexual violence, although numbers are likely 
higher given the barriers associated with disclosure. GBV is often used 
by armed actors as an intimidation tactic to exert power and control 
over the opposing side.
  Since the onset of COVID, the impact of the virus has increased 
exposure of women and girls to domestic violence, lack of access to 
medicine and telehealth, and disruptions in income. Crises like COVID 
exacerbate risks for GBV, which is exactly what Safe from the Start is 
set up to mitigate. In this moment, people around the world are living 
through multiple kinds of emergencies, in some cases simultaneously. 
Gaps in services and humanitarian protection frameworks have made it 
difficult to adequately prevent GBV in humanitarian contexts and 
mitigate its impact. Humanitarian agencies are often underequipped to 
address GBV specifically or close gaps between services and 
accountability that have led directly to GBV, such as the exploitation 
of women in exchange for supplies by aid workers. To address this, the 
humanitarian donor community has begun investing in the building 
standards, guidelines, and capacities of humanitarian actors to better 
respond to the needs of women and girls in emergencies.
  The Safe from the Start Act would support the State Department and 
USAID's ongoing work to protect and prevent violence against women and 
girls in humanitarian emergencies by codifying it, and providing 
Congressional oversight over its implementation.
  I want to thank my colleagues, Representatives Chris Stewart, Lois 
Frankel, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Chrissy Houlahan for once again leading 
this bill with me. I urge the rest of my colleagues to support this 
bill and look forward to its enactment.

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