IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 970 

Denouncing the practices of female genital mutilation, domestic violence, 

‘‘honor’’ killings, acid burning, dowry deaths, and other gender-based 

persecutions and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives 

that participation, protection, recognition, and independence of women 

is crucial to achieving a just, moral, and honorable society. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 28, 2006 

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas (for herself, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Ms. LEE, Ms. 

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. MATSUI, Mrs. CAPPS, Ms. WOOLSEY, Ms. 

SOLIS, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Ms. 

MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mrs. MCCARTHY, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. KENNEDY

of Rhode Island, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ, Ms. 

HARMAN, Mrs. TAUSCHER, and Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota) submitted 

the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Denouncing the practices of female genital mutilation, domestic violence, ‘‘honor’’ killings, acid burning, dowry 

deaths, and other gender-based persecutions and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that participation, protection, recognition, and independence of 

women is crucial to achieving a just, moral, and honorable society. 

Whereas human rights violations have occurred on six continents, have not been limited to times of war, and have 


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•HRES 970 IH 

been committed for political gain, personal advantage, 

ethnic hatred, and in the name of deities and fundamentalist religious zeal; 

Whereas, in many parts of the world, there is a culture of 

violence and discrimination which denies women rights 

equal to those of men and which legitimizes the exploitation of women for personal gratification or political 

purposes and gain; 

Whereas the United Nations Secretary General has declared 

that rape is a recognized tool of war; 

Whereas 200 women in Bangladesh are horribly disfigured 

when their spurned husbands or suitors burn them with 

acid each year; 

Whereas in North Africa, 6,000 women are genitally mutilated each day; 

Whereas more than 7,000 women in India will be killed by 

their families and in-laws in disputes over dowries each 

year; 

Whereas more than 15,000 women will be sold as sexual 

slaves in China this year; 

Whereas in the United States, a woman is raped every six 

minutes and a woman is battered every 15 seconds; 

Whereas the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of 

Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), adopted in 

1979 by the United Nations General Assembly, defines 

discrimination against women as ‘‘any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the 

effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of 

their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and 

women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in 


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•HRES 970 IH 

the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other 

field’’; 

Whereas the United States has yet to ratify CEDAW; 

Whereas the intent of CEDAW is ‘‘to incorporate the principle of equality of men and women in their legal system, 

abolish all discriminatory laws and adopt appropriate 

ones prohibiting discrimination against women; to establish tribunals and other public institutions to ensure the 

effective protection of women against discrimination; and 

to ensure elimination of all acts of discrimination against 

women by persons, organizations or enterprises’’; 

Whereas 183 countries, representing more than 90 percent of 

the Member States of the United Nations, are signatories 

to CEDAW; 

Whereas women are not chattel, may not be trafficked, or 

sold for services, and must not be denied the right to own 

property or the right of ownership; 

Whereas women perform two-thirds of the world’s work, but 

receive less than ten percent of the world’s income and 

own less than one percent of the world’s assets; 

Whereas the inalienable rights to freedom of worship, expression, association, and conscience, as well as the pursuit 

of happiness, must never be threatened or brutalized by 

violence, oppression, slavery, or manipulation; 

Whereas the leadership of women has led to social justice, 

economic prosperity, political stability, peaceful relations, 

and a healthy population; 

Whereas self-sufficiency, economic progress, and democracy 

are dependent on the welfare of women and children; 

Now, therefore, be it 


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•HRES 970 IH 

1 Resolved, That— 

2 (1) the House of Representatives— 

3 (A) denounces the barbaric practices of fe4 male genital mutilation, domestic violence, 

5 ‘‘honor’’ killings, acid burning, dowry deaths, 

6 and other gender-based persecutions; 

7 (B) demands the cessation of these bar8 baric practices; and 

9 (C) condemns the perpetrators of these 

10 barbaric practices; and 

11 (2) it is the sense of the House of Representa12 tives that— 

13 (A) participation, protection, recognition, 

14 and independence of women is crucial to achiev15 ing a just, moral, and honorable society; 

16 (B) regardless of religion, geography, or 

17 form of government, women should not be de18 nied equal rights, which should be defended 

19 when they are abridged, challenged, or violated; 

20 and 

21 (C) the United States should renew consid22 eration of and ratify its signature on the Con23 vention on the Elimination of All Forms of Dis24 crimination against Women (CEDAW). 

Æ 


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