[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 76 (Thursday, May 4, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1529-S1530]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                     Nomination of Geeta Rao Gupta

  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I rise today to express my excitement 
and support that the Senate voted to take another step closer to 
confirming Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta to serve as Ambassador at Large for 
Global Women's Issues.
  Today's vote has been a long time in the making, but it moves us one 
step closer to ensuring that we have a functioning Office of Global 
Women's Issues that has a Senate-confirmed leader. This is really 
critical, particularly right now given what is happening around the 
world, because around the world, women are under attack.
  In Iran, thousands of girls and young women have been the victims of 
chemical attacks in classrooms. We still don't know what the cause of 
those attacks are, but we do know who has been at risk and who has been 
suffering, and that is, girls and young women--girls and young women 
who are the future of Iran, and they are forced to go to school 
worrying about their safety. Their families are forced to consider if 
their education is worth risking their lives, and their communities are 
forced to reckon with a government that is unmoved by the senseless 
attacks on its girls.
  In the Ukraine, Russian forces have used mass rape as a weapon of war 
in their unprovoked war on Ukraine. Children and their mothers have 
been reported to be sexually assaulted while their family members are 
forced to watch.
  In Latin America, a woman is killed every 2 hours because of her 
gender. That is 12 women a day dying simply because they are women.
  In Sudan, we see another disturbing but sadly expected pattern. Women 
are disproportionately affected by the conflict there. They are forced 
from their homes. They are forced to share their homes with soldiers. 
They face sexual and gender-based violence and human trafficking. As 
violence shutters hospitals across that country because of the civil 
war, roughly 219,000 pregnant women are at risk for lack of medical 
care.
  And, of course, in Afghanistan, the situation is maybe even worse. 
The de facto Taliban authorities have normalized the systematic 
violation of the rights of women and girls, to the point that the 
United Nations warns that ``discriminatory denial of women and girls' 
fundamental human rights may amount to gender persecution, a crime 
against humanity.''
  These horrible examples humanize the plight that women around the 
world are facing, but another troubling set of statistics underscores 
why this plight is not isolated to one country. It is a global 
challenge that does not stop at the border of one nation.
  Thirty percent of women and girls 15 and older have experienced 
physical or sexual violence at the hands of a partner. The majority of 
the world's poor are women, who globally earn 24 percent less than men 
and who face some form of job restrictions--so some form of job 
discrimination--in 84 countries.
  It is a sad reality that in 2023, there is not really a single 
country that has achieved gender equality. In fact, the progress of the 
last several decades has been set back by the COVID-19 pandemic and 
authoritarian trends around the world.
  So Dr. Gupta, as she takes over--hopefully, once she is confirmed 
next week--as she takes over that Office of Global Women's Issues, she 
has a huge responsibility. She will head an office of smart, engaged, 
and dedicated staff who have devoted their careers to the rights and 
empowerment of women and girls.
  I would be remiss today if I didn't mention Katrina Fotovat, who has 
served as the senior official at the Office of Global Women's Issues 
since January of 2021. Kat has led the Office as it implements the 
Biden-Harris administration's policies on women, peace, and security, 
countering violent extremism and promoting economic quality, and 
combating gender-based violence. Her leadership has been invaluable, 
and she exemplifies what it means to be a public servant.
  For those people who question why we need an Office of Global Women's 
Issues to be a lens for our foreign policy, I think it is important to 
remind everyone that empowering women and achieving gender equality is 
not just a moral imperative; it is also a strategic imperative.

[[Page S1530]]

  The evidence routinely demonstrates that women's empowerment is 
integral to achieving greater security and stability around the world. 
Simply put, those societies, those countries that empower women are 
more stable, and they are more likely to be democracies.
  When women work--even when they make less than men for the same job--
they invest 90 percent of their income back into their families and 
communities. That is compared with only 35 percent for men. Closing the 
gender gap in education adds half a percent to a country's per capita 
gross national product. We have excellent data that shows that a peace 
agreement in conflict areas is 35 percent more likely to last at least 
15 years if women participate in the development of the peace 
agreement.
  These are tangible benefits that show that empowering women benefits 
whole communities, women and men alike.
  We have seen that the work of the Office of Global Women's Issues has 
shown that change is possible. We can leave a better future for our 
daughters and granddaughters.
  Around the world, more women are in government at all levels today 
than they were a generation ago, and not coincidentally, more countries 
are also creating laws to achieve gender equality and women's 
empowerment. Rates of child early and forced marriage are down, while 
more girls are staying in school. Clearly, the women of the world have 
not been cowed by violence, oppression, and inequality. They are 
fighting back, and they are demanding equality and equity.
  In 2017, we passed the Women, Peace, and Security Act, ensuring that 
women's voices and participation are included in conflict resolution 
and decision-making processes. When I travel around the world, I have 
been heartened to hear about the effect of the U.S. leadership on 
women, peace, and security, which is an important part of the mandate 
of the Office of Global Women's Issues.
  Our efforts to encourage the inclusion and empowerment of women are 
making an impact, despite the huge challenges they face on a daily 
basis.
  Around the world, we are seeing women fighting for their rights. In 
Iran, women have faced down a brutal dictatorship. They have defied 
state-sanctioned violence to lead marches in the streets that demand 
justice for the senseless death of Mahsa Amini.

  In Ukraine, women have taken up arms against the invading Russian 
force while also leading their families and communities to safety.
  And across Latin America, women have demanded that their governments 
do more to stop the senseless gender-based violence and to hold those 
who commit violence accountable.
  Women have long been at the forefront of the pro-democracy movement 
in Sudan, leading efforts to hold the military and ruling elites to 
account and demanding that their voices are heard.
  And in Afghanistan, in the face of overwhelming odds, women are 
defying the Taliban's strict decrees to actively protest for their 
rights. They have not given up. They continue to risk beatings, 
detention, and death to demand their rights. Their peaceful 
demonstrations have been met with military force, and yet they continue 
to protest.
  So we cannot stand idly by. These women are why we need a strong U.S. 
policy that supports the equality and empowerment of women. They are 
why we need an engaged Office of Global Women's Issues, and they are 
why we need to confirm Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta as Ambassador at Large as 
soon as we can next week so that she can take over in that critical 
position.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.