IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1068 

Condemning rape and sexual violence against women. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 8, 2024 

Mrs. DINGELL (for herself, Ms. TOKUDA, Ms. SALINAS, Mr. THANEDAR, Mr. 

GOLDMAN of New York, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. DOGGETT, Ms. WILD, Ms. 

GARCIA of Texas, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. SCHIFF, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. 

MOORE of Wisconsin, Ms. LEE of Pennsylvania, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. 

ESPAILLAT, Mr. CASAR, Mr. GARAMENDI, Ms. NORTON, Mr. GRIJALVA, 

Mr. MCGOVERN, and Ms. STANSBURY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently 

determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning rape and sexual violence against women. 

Whereas violence against women is a global crisis that causes 

devastating harm to women, their children, and their 

communities; 

Whereas there has been greater attention across the world on 

violence against women, especially when it is despicably 

used as a tool of war; 

Whereas rape, sexual violence, and gender-based violence are 

horrific in any context, but are especially heinous when 

weaponized during conflicts; 


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Whereas rape and sexual violence have unjustly been used as 

weapons of war for centuries to target ethnic, political, 

or cultural rivals, torment civilian populations, and assert 

and maintain control; 

Whereas rape and sexual violence continue to be weaponized 

during modern conflicts; 

Whereas multiple news organizations have reported accounts 

of sexual violence against women perpetrated by Hamas 

during the October 7th terrorist attacks on Israel, a report from Physicians for Human Rights Israel has raised 

concerns that the October 7 Hamas attacks included 

many incidents of sexual assault following repetitive patterns, and photographic and eyewitness evidence of the 

sexual violence that was weaponized by Hamas during 

the attacks was presented during a United Nations session on sexual and gender-based violence; 

Whereas since fighting began in Sudan between the Sudanese 

Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces 

(RSF) in April 2023, United Nations experts have raised 

concerns about the reported escalation of violence against 

women, including sexual exploitation, slavery, trafficking, 

rape, and forced disappearances that appear to have been 

racially, ethnically, and politically motivated, according to 

the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for 

Human Rights; 

Whereas the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine has evidence that Russian soldiers have 

raped and committed other forms of sexual violence 

against women between the ages of 16 and 83 since the 

Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022; 


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Whereas gender-based violence has been a widespread problem in Myanmar, and sexual violence has become more 

brutal and widespread since the 2021 military coup, according to the Karenni National Women’s Organization; 

Whereas sexual- and gender-based violence against women 

and girls was highly prevalent during and since the conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia, that started in November 2020, 

according to several studies; 

Whereas armed gangs in Haiti have used sexual violence, including collective rapes, since at least 2018, to instill 

fear, punish, subjugate, and inflict pain on local populations to expand their control, according to the United 

Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner; 

Whereas abuse and assault targeting women and girls in 

Yemen has increased 63 percent since the start of the 

war in 2015, with adolescent girls among the most vulnerable, according to the United Nations; 

Whereas it is estimated that over 25,000 people were victims 

of sexual- and gender-based crimes in Uganda during the 

decades-long conflict with the Lord’s Resistance Army 

that began in 1987, according to the International Center 

for Transnational Justice, and high rates of gender-based 

violence across the country continue to jeopardize the 

lives of women; 

Whereas decades of conflict with Israel have resulted in high 

levels of poverty, instability, and deteriorating living conditions in Gaza that have increased the risk of violence 

for Palestinian women and girls, according to the United 

Nations Population Fund, and the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas and worsening humanitarian criVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:50 Mar 08, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1068.IH HR1068

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sis in Gaza is compounding the risks women and children 

already faced; 

Whereas 59 percent of Palestinian women and girls have reported experiencing at least one form of gender-based violence, according to the United Nations Population 

Fund, and news outlets have reported that Palestinian 

women have been harassed at checkpoints and while in 

custody, according to testimony submitted to the United 

Nations; 

Whereas conflict-related sexual violence is vastly underreported; 

Whereas rape and other forms of sexual violence are prohibited under international law; 

Whereas the Rome Statute of the International Criminal 

Court considers rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization, or any 

other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity as 

crimes against humanity; 

Whereas women are disproportionately affected by sexual violence during conflict; 

Whereas sexual violence against the LGBTQIA+ community 

during conflict is a component of gender-based violence, 

linked to the imposition of moral codes and societal 

norms that directly target the ability of all sexual and 

gender identities to live freely, according to LGBTQIA+ 

human rights organizations; 

Whereas the consequences of sexual violence affect women beyond the cessation of conflict, including pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, stigmatization, and a lack of 

access to health care; 


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Whereas sexual and gender-based violence outside of conflict 

times continues to jeopardize the lives of women; 

Whereas at least 32 percent of women have experienced physical violence in Pakistan, according to the United Nations 

Population Fund, and honor killings continue to take the 

lives of hundreds of Pakistani women each year, according to Human Rights Watch; 

Whereas, since the Women Life Freedom protests that erupted in Iran in September 2022, there has been documented widespread use of violence and mistreatment, including sexual harassment, against those who have been 

arrested, according to Human Rights Watch; 

Whereas gender inequity and sexual violence are inextricably 

linked, and gender inequality can fuel harmful cultural 

and societal norms that affect women’s economic status 

and impact women’s access to education, supportive services, and legal protections; 

Whereas other inequities caused by poverty, gender identity, 

disability, sexual orientation, income, race, and immigration status, among others, increase women’s vulnerability 

to experiencing sexual violence; 

Whereas violence against women continues to be a pervasive 

issue that extends across borders, and an estimated 

736,000,000 women worldwide have been subjected to 

physical or sexual violence at least once in their lives; 

Whereas sexual violence remains a serious problem in the 

United States; 

Whereas sexual violence impacts millions of women within the 

United States every year, and women from racial and 

ethnic minority groups are disproportionately affected; 


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Whereas gender-based violence is prevalent in settings that 

are embedded in the fabric of United States society, including college campuses, the military, the workplace, 

and prisons; and 

Whereas more must be done to eliminate sexual violence both 

within the United States and communities across the 

world: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) condemns violence against women in all 

3 forms, at all times, and across all circumstances; 

4 (2) condemns the weaponization of rape, sexual 

5 violence, and gender-based violence during conflicts; 

6 (3) stands with survivors of rape, sexual vio7 lence, and gender-based violence in the United 

8 States and nations across the globe; 

9 (4) recognizes and honors individuals and orga10 nizations across the globe who are working to elimi11 nate gender-based violence; 

12 (5) reaffirms a commitment to eliminating sex13 ual violence and gender-based violence within the 

14 United States and abroad; and 

15 (6) calls on members of the international com16 munity— 

17 (A) to enact laws protecting survivors and 

18 holding perpetrators of violence accountable for 

19 their actions; and 


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1 (B) to prioritize the elimination of gender2 based violence in conflict settings. 

Æ 


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