[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 159 (Thursday, August 16, 2012)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 49345-49348]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-20259]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 159 / Thursday, August 16, 2012 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 49345]]

                Executive Order 13623 of August 10, 2012

                
Preventing and Responding to Violence Against 
                Women and Girls Globally

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

                Section 1. Policy. (a) Recognizing that gender-based 
                violence undermines not only the safety, dignity, and 
                human rights of the millions of individuals who 
                experience it, but also the public health, economic 
                stability, and security of nations, it is the policy 
                and practice of the executive branch of the United 
                States Government to have a multi-year strategy that 
                will more effectively prevent and respond to gender-
                based violence globally.

                    (b) Under the leadership of my Administration, the 
                United States has made gender equality and women's 
                empowerment a core focus of our foreign policy. This 
                focus is reflected in our National Security Strategy, 
                the Presidential Policy Directive on Global 
                Development, and the 2010 U.S. Quadrennial Diplomacy 
                and Development Review. Evidence demonstrates that 
                women's empowerment is critical to building stable, 
                democratic societies; to supporting open and 
                accountable governance; to furthering international 
                peace and security; to growing vibrant market 
                economies; and to addressing pressing health and 
                education challenges.
                    (c) Preventing and responding to gender-based 
                violence is a cornerstone of my Administration's 
                commitment to advance gender equality and women's 
                empowerment. Such violence significantly hinders the 
                ability of individuals to fully participate in, and 
                contribute to, their communities--economically, 
                politically, and socially. It is a human rights 
                violation or abuse; a public health challenge; and a 
                barrier to civic, social, political, and economic 
                participation. It is associated with adverse health 
                outcomes, limited access to education, increased costs 
                relating to medical and legal services, lost household 
                productivity, and reduced income, and there is evidence 
                it is exacerbated in times of crisis, such as 
                emergencies, natural disasters, and violent conflicts.
                    (d) The executive branch multi-year strategy for 
                preventing and responding to gender-based violence is 
                set forth in the United States Strategy to Prevent and 
                Respond to Gender-based Violence Globally (Strategy). 
                The Strategy both responds to and expands upon the 
                request in section 7061 of House conference report 112-
                331 accompanying the Department of State, Foreign 
                Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 
                2012 (Division I of Public Law 112-74), for the 
                executive branch to develop a multi-year strategy to 
                prevent and respond to violence against women and girls 
                in countries where it is common.

                Sec. 2. Creating an Interagency Working Group. There is 
                established an Interagency Working Group (Working 
                Group) to address gender-based violence, which shall 
                coordinate implementation of the Strategy by the 
                executive departments and agencies that are members of 
                the Working Group (member agencies) in accordance with 
                the priorities set forth in section 3 of this order.

                    (a) The Working Group shall be co-chaired by the 
                Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United 
                States Agency for International Development (Co-
                Chairs). In addition to the Co-Chairs, the Working 
                Group shall consist of representatives from:

(i) the Department of the Treasury;

[[Page 49346]]

(ii) the Department of Defense;

(iii) the Department of Justice;

(iv) the Department of Labor;

(v) the Department of Health and Human Services;

(vi) the Department of Homeland Security;

(vii) the Office of Management and Budget;

(viii) the National Security Staff;

(ix) the Office of the Vice President;

(x) the Peace Corps;

(xi) the Millennium Challenge Corporation;

(xii) the White House Council on Women and Girls; and

(xiii) other executive departments, agencies, and offices, as designated by 
the Co-Chairs.

                    (b) Within 120 days of the date of this order, the 
                Co-Chairs shall convene the first meeting of the 
                Working Group to:

(i) establish benchmarks to implement the Strategy; and

(ii) determine a timetable for periodically reviewing those benchmarks.

                    (c) Within 18 months of the date of this order, the 
                Working Group shall complete a progress report for 
                submission to the Co-Chairs evaluating the U.S. 
                Government's implementation of the Strategy.
                    (d) Within 3 years of the date of this order, the 
                Working Group shall complete a final evaluation for 
                submission to the Co-Chairs of the U.S. Government's 
                implementation of the Strategy.
                    (e) Within 180 days of completing its final 
                evaluation of the Strategy in accordance with 
                subsection (d) of this section, the Working Group shall 
                update or revise the Strategy to take into account the 
                information learned and the progress made during and 
                through the implementation of the Strategy.
                    (f) The activities of the Working Group shall, 
                consistent with law, take due account of existing 
                interagency bodies and coordination mechanisms and will 
                coordinate with such bodies and mechanisms where 
                appropriate in order to avoid duplication of efforts.

                Sec. 3. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based 
                Violence Globally. Member agencies shall implement the 
                Strategy to prevent and respond to gender-based 
                violence globally based on the following priorities 
                reflected in the Strategy:

                    (a) Increasing Coordination of Gender-based 
                Violence Prevention and Response Efforts Among U.S. 
                Government Agencies and with Other Stakeholders.

(i) Member agencies shall draw upon each other's expertise, responsibility, 
and capacity to provide a comprehensive and multi-faceted approach to 
issues relating to gender-based violence.

(ii) Member agencies shall deepen engagement and coordination with other 
governments; international organizations, including multilateral and 
bilateral actors; the private sector; and civil society organizations, such 
as representatives of indigenous and marginalized groups, foundations, 
community-based, faith-based, and regional organizations (including those 
that serve survivors), labor unions, universities, and research 
organizations. The Working Group shall consider a range of mechanisms by 
which these stakeholders may provide input to the U.S. Government on its 
role in preventing and responding to gender-based violence globally.

                    (b) Enhancing Integration of Gender-based Violence 
                Prevention and Response Efforts into Existing U.S. 
                Government Work. Member agencies shall more 
                comprehensively integrate gender-based violence 
                prevention and response programming into their foreign 
                policy and foreign assistance efforts. This integration 
                shall also build on current efforts that address 
                gender-based violence, such as the U.S. National Action 
                Plan on Women, Peace, and Security; the Global Health 
                Initiative; the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS 
                Relief; the U.S. Government's work to counter 
                trafficking in persons;

[[Page 49347]]

                and the U.S. Government's humanitarian response 
                efforts. The Working Group shall coordinate these 
                different efforts as they relate to gender-based 
                violence to leverage the most effective programs and to 
                avoid duplication.
                    (c) Improving Collection, Analysis, and Use of Data 
                and Research to Enhance Gender-based Violence 
                Prevention and Response Efforts. Member agencies shall 
                work to promote ethical and safe research, data 
                collection, and evidence-based analyses relating to 
                different forms of gender-based violence and prevention 
                and response efforts at the country and local level. 
                This work will include the development of a research 
                agenda that assesses agencies' research and data 
                collection capabilities, needs, and gaps; builds upon 
                existing data and research; and is coordinated with the 
                work of other organizations that are prioritizing 
                global gender-based violence research. Member agencies 
                shall prioritize the monitoring and evaluation of 
                gender-based violence prevention and response 
                interventions to determine their effectiveness. Member 
                agencies shall systematically identify and share best 
                practices, lessons learned, and research within and 
                across agencies. Member agencies, as appropriate, shall 
                seek to develop public-private partnerships to support 
                U.S. Government research initiatives and strategic 
                planning efforts.
                    (d)  Enhancing or Expanding U.S. Government 
                Programming that Addresses Gender-based Violence. 
                Consistent with the availability of appropriations, the 
                U.S. Government shall support programming that provides 
                a comprehensive and multi-sector approach to preventing 
                and responding to gender-based violence; shall consider 
                replicating or expanding successful programs; and shall 
                assess the feasibility of a focused, coordinated, 
                comprehensive, and multi-sector approach to gender-
                based violence in one or more countries.

                Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order 
                shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the 
head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

                    (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with 
                applicable law and subject to the availability of 
                appropriations.
                    (c) Independent agencies are strongly encouraged to 
                comply with this order.

[[Page 49348]]

                    (d) This order is not intended to, and does not, 
                create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, 
                enforceable at law or in equity by any party against 
                the United States, its departments, agencies, or 
                entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any 
                other person.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    Washington, August 10, 2012.

[FR Doc. 2012-20259
Filed 8-15-12; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F2-P