[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 23 (Monday, February 4, 2013)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 7989-7991]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-02569]



[[Page 7987]]

Vol. 78

Monday,

No. 23

February 4, 2013

Part VI





The President





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Memorandum of January 30, 2013--Coordination of Policies and Programs 
To Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women and Girls Globally
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  Federal Register / Vol. 78 , No. 23 / Monday, February 4, 2013 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

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                Memorandum of January 30, 2013

                
Coordination of Policies and Programs To Promote 
                Gender Equality and Empower Women and Girls Globally

                Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and 
                Agencies

                Promoting gender equality and advancing the status of 
                all women and girls around the world remains one of the 
                greatest unmet challenges of our time, and one that is 
                vital to achieving our overall foreign policy 
                objectives. Ensuring that women and girls, including 
                those most marginalized, are able to participate fully 
                in public life, are free from violence, and have equal 
                access to education, economic opportunity, and health 
                care increases broader economic prosperity, as well as 
                political stability and security.

                During my Administration, the United States has made 
                promoting gender equality and advancing the status of 
                women and girls a central element of our foreign 
                policy, including by leading through example at home. 
                Executive Order 13506 of March 11, 2009, established 
                the White House Council on Women and Girls to 
                coordinate Federal policy on issues, both domestic and 
                international, that particularly impact the lives of 
                women and girls. This commitment to promoting gender 
                equality is also reflected in the National Security 
                Strategy of the United States, the Presidential Policy 
                Directive on Global Development, and the 2010 U.S. 
                Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review.

                To elevate and integrate this strategic focus on the 
                promotion of gender equality and the advancement of 
                women and girls around the world, executive departments 
                and agencies (agencies) have issued policy and 
                operational guidance. For example, in March 2012, the 
                Secretary of State issued Policy Guidance on Promoting 
                Gender Equality to Achieve our National Security and 
                Foreign Policy Objectives, and the United States Agency 
                for International Development (USAID) Administrator 
                released Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy. 
                The Millennium Challenge Corporation issued Gender 
                Integration Guidelines in March 2011 to ensure its 
                existing gender policy is fully realized. My 
                Administration has also developed a National Action 
                Plan on Women, Peace, and Security, created pursuant to 
                Executive Order 13595 of December 19, 2011, to 
                strengthen conflict resolution and peace processes 
                through the inclusion of women, and a Strategy to 
                Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence Globally, 
                implemented pursuant to Executive Order 13623 of August 
                10, 2012, to combat gender-based violence around the 
                world. Improving interagency coordination and 
                information sharing, and strengthening agency capacity 
                and accountability will help ensure the effective 
                implementation of these and other Government efforts to 
                promote gender equality and advance the status of women 
                and girls globally.

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, and in order to further strengthen the 
                capacity of the Federal Government to ensure that U.S. 
                diplomacy and foreign assistance promote gender 
                equality and advance the status of women and girls 
                worldwide, I hereby direct the following:

                Section 1. Strengthening Capacity and Coordination to 
                Promote Gender Equality and Advance the Status of Women 
                and Girls Internationally. (a) Enhancing U.S. global 
                leadership on gender equality requires dedicated 
                resources, personnel with appropriate expertise in 
                advancing the status of women and girls worldwide, and 
                commitment from senior leadership, as

[[Page 7990]]

                exemplified by the critical and historic role played by 
                the Office of Global Women's Issues at the Department 
                of State. To assure maximum coordination of efforts to 
                promote gender equality and advance the status of women 
                and girls, the Secretary of State (Secretary) shall 
                designate a coordinator (Coordinator), who will 
                normally also be appointed by the President as an 
                Ambassador at Large (Ambassador at Large) subject to 
                the advice and consent of the Senate. The Ambassador at 
                Large, who shall report directly to the Secretary of 
                State, shall lead the Office of Global Women's Issues 
                at the Department of State and provide advice and 
                assistance on issues related to promoting gender 
                equality and advancing the status of women and girls 
                internationally.

                (b) The Ambassador at Large shall, to the extent the 
                Secretary may direct and consistent with applicable 
                law, provide guidance and coordination with respect to 
                global policies and programs for women and girls, and 
                shall lead efforts to promote an international focus on 
                gender equality more broadly, including through 
                diplomatic initiatives with other countries and 
                partnerships and enhanced coordination with 
                international and nongovernmental organizations and the 
                private sector. To this end, the Ambassador at Large 
                shall also, to the extent the Secretary may direct, 
                assist in:

(i) implementing existing and developing new policies, strategies, and 
action plans for the promotion of gender equality and advancement of the 
status of women and girls internationally, and coordinating such actions 
with USAID and other agencies carrying out related international 
activities, as appropriate; and

(ii) coordinating such initiatives with other countries and international 
organizations, as well as with nongovernmental organizations.

                (c) Recognizing the vital link between diplomacy and 
                development, and the importance of gender equality as 
                both a goal in itself and as a vital means to achieving 
                the broader aims of U.S. development assistance, the 
                Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's 
                Empowerment at USAID shall provide guidance to the 
                USAID Administrator in identifying, developing, and 
                advancing key priorities for U.S. development 
                assistance, coordinating, as appropriate, with other 
                agencies.

                (d) The Assistant to the President for National 
                Security Affairs (or designee), in close collaboration 
                with the Chair of the White House Council on Women and 
                Girls (or designee) and the Ambassador at Large (or 
                designee), shall chair an interagency working group to 
                develop and coordinate Government-wide implementation 
                of policies to promote gender equality and advance the 
                status of women and girls internationally. The Working 
                Group shall consist of senior representatives from the 
                Departments of State, the Treasury, Defense, Justice, 
                Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Health and Human 
                Services, Education, and Homeland Security; the 
                Intelligence Community, as determined by the Director 
                of National Intelligence; the United States Agency for 
                International Development; the Millennium Challenge 
                Corporation; the Peace Corps; the U.S. Mission to the 
                United Nations; the Office of the United States Trade 
                Representative; the Office of Management and Budget; 
                the Office of the Vice President; the National Economic 
                Council; and such other agencies and offices as the 
                President may designate.

                Sec. 2. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this 
                memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise 
                affect:

(i) the authority granted by law or Executive Order 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 memorandum shall be implemented consistent 
                with applicable law and subject to the availability of 
                appropriations.

                (c) Upon designation as such by the Secretary, the 
                Coordinator shall exercise the functions of the 
                Ambassador at Large set forth in this memorandum.

[[Page 7991]]

                (d) This memorandum 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.

                (e) The Secretary of State is hereby authorized and 
                directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal 
                Register.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    Washington, January 30, 2013.

[FR Doc. 2013-02569
Filed 2-1-13; 11:15 am]
Billing code 4710-10