I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1653 

To ensure that the United States recognizes women’s varied roles in all 

aspects of violent extremism and terrorism and promotes their meaningful 

participation as full partners in all efforts to prevent and counter violent 

extremism and terrorism, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 8, 2019 

Ms. FRANKEL (for herself, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. KEATING, Mr. WILSON of South 

Carolina, Ms. SPANBERGER, Mr. ZELDIN, Ms. MENG, Ms. HOULAHAN, 

Mr. COHEN, and Mr. FITZPATRICK) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the 

Committee on Armed Services, 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 

A BILL 

To ensure that the United States recognizes women’s varied 

roles in all aspects of violent extremism and terrorism 

and promotes their meaningful participation as full partners in all efforts to prevent and counter violent extremism and terrorism, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Women and Coun5 tering Violent Extremism Act of 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) Women play diverse roles in violent extrem4 ist organizations, including as victims, perpetrators, 

5 and preventers. 

6 (2) Extremist groups benefit strategically and 

7 financially from the subjugation of women. Terrorist 

8 groups violate the rights of women and girls, from 

9 sexual enslavement and forced marriages to limiting 

10 their access to education and public life. Violent ex11 tremist groups have used women and girls as re12 wards for new recruits and as part of their recruit13 ment efforts. According to the 2016 U.S. State De14 partment’s Country Reports on Terrorism, ‘‘In 2015 

15 and 2016, ISIS abducted, systematically raped, and 

16 abused thousands of women and children [in Iraq 

17 and Syria], some as young as eight years of age. 

18 Women and children were sold and enslaved, distrib19 uted to ISIS fighters as spoils of war, forced into 

20 marriage and domestic servitude, or subjected to 

21 physical and sexual abuse.’’. In northern Nigeria, 

22 Boko Haram has kidnapped and subjected thou23 sands of women and girls to physical abuse, forced 

24 labor, forced marriage and sexual abuse. 

25 (3) As perpetrators of violent extremism and 

26 terrorism, women adopt all roles, including as inVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Mar 22, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1653.IH H1653

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1 formants, facilitators, recruiters, and suicide bomb2 ers. Empowering women may diminish their support 

3 for violent extremist organizations by increasing 

4 their sense of agency. 

5 (4) Seeing women as partners empowers them 

6 to detect early signs of radicalization, intervening 

7 before individuals become violent and delegitimizing 

8 violent extremist narratives. Analysis by the Council 

9 on Foreign Relations concluded that, ‘‘Anti-ter10 rorism messages are disseminated quite effectively 

11 throughout families and communities by women, who 

12 can challenge extremist narratives in homes, schools 

13 and social environments, and have particular influ14 ence among youth populations.’’. 

15 (5) Extremist groups take strategic advantage 

16 of the relative absence of women in police and mili17 tary forces. As security officials, women provide dis18 tinct insights, information, and analyses that can be 

19 mission-critical in keeping the peace. They may have 

20 access to populations and sites that men do not, al21 lowing them to gather critical intelligence about po22 tential security threats. 

23 (6) Research has demonstrated a relationship 

24 between the security of women and the security of 

25 states. According to a Texas A&M study, less emVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Mar 22, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1653.IH H1653

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1 powerment for women in the household correlates 

2 with less stability nationwide, measured by political 

3 instability, lack of freedoms, autocracy, corruption, 

4 and internal conflict. Countries where women are 

5 less empowered at the household level are also more 

6 likely to produce foreign fighters going to territory 

7 controlled by terrorist organizations. 

8 (7) Counterterrorism policy has not been as ef9 fective at understanding how women can improve se10 curity efforts. According to the June 2016 U.S. Na11 tional Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, 

12 ‘‘A narrow understanding of women’s roles in CVE 

13 [countering violent extremism] limits policy options 

14 and perpetuates strategic blind spots, such as failing 

15 to recognize women’s agency as potential mitigators 

16 and perpetrators of violence.’’. 

17 (8) According to a 2015 United States Agency 

18 for International Development study of women’s 

19 participation in violent extremism, there has been ‘‘a 

20 marked gap in CVE [countering violent extremism] 

21 programming, which has focused mostly on male 

22 participation, without a commensurate reflection on 

23 and response to female-specific drivers and recruit24 ment strategies.’’. 


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1 (9) The ‘‘Department of State & USAID Joint 

2 Strategy on Countering Violent Extremism’’, dated 

3 May 2016, notes that ‘‘women can play a critical 

4 role in identifying and addressing drivers of violent 

5 extremism in their families, communities, and broad6 er society’’; and commits to supporting programs 

7 that engage women ‘‘as key stakeholders in pre8 venting and countering violent extremism in their 

9 communities’’. Women are on the front lines of ob10 serving and countering extremist violence, including 

11 as police officers engaging with local communities to 

12 prevent violent extremism, imams and other religious 

13 leaders preaching religious tolerance, and as those 

14 countering efforts to radicalize their husbands, chil15 dren, and communities. 

16 (10) The Women, Peace, and Security Act of 

17 2017 (Public Law 115–68) established that ‘‘Women 

18 in conflict-affected regions have achieved significant 

19 success in moderating violent extremism [and] coun20 tering terrorism.’’. 

21 (11) The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 

22 2017 (Public Law 115–31) required the creation of 

23 a comprehensive, inter-agency United States Govern24 ment strategy to support women and girls at risk 

25 from extremism and conflict. Congress has also alloVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Mar 22, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1653.IH H1653

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1 cated $45,000,000 to support women and girls at 

2 risk from extremism and conflict. 

3 SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

4 It shall be the policy of the United States to recognize 

5 women’s varied roles in all aspects of violent extremism 

6 and terrorism, including as victims, perpetrators, and pre7 venters, and to promote the meaningful participation of 

8 women as full partners in all efforts to prevent and 

9 counter violent extremism and terrorism. 

10 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF ASSISTANCE TO WOMEN-LED 

11 AND WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT ORGANIZA12 TIONS. 

13 The President is authorized to provide assistance to 

14 non-United States-based women-led and women’s em15 powerment organizations in foreign countries working on 

16 countering violent extremism and terrorism in such coun17 tries, including for the following purposes: 

18 (1) Supporting capacity-building efforts of such 

19 organizations and of women preventing and coun20 tering violent extremism and terrorism, including in 

21 the use of conflict analysis tools and methodologies. 

22 (2) Ensuring representation of women in work23 ing groups and initiatives discussing countering vio24 lent extremism and terrorism policies, strategies, 

25 and analyses, and seeking the input of such working 


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1 groups and initiatives in the design of countering 

2 violent extremism and terrorism programs, including 

3 policies and programs led by the security sector. 

4 (3) Supporting projects that advance efforts to 

5 prevent or counter violent extremism and terrorism. 

6 (4) Encouraging national, regional, and local 

7 platforms for information exchange between female 

8 activists from countries facing violent extremism or 

9 terrorism so they can share experiences and learn 

10 best practices. 

11 SEC. 5. WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY STRATEGY. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (a) of section 5 of the 

13 Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 (22 U.S.C. 

14 2152j–1; Public Law 115–68) is amended— 

15 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ after 

16 the semicolon at the end; 

17 (2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at 

18 the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

19 (3) by adding at the end the following new 

20 paragraph: 

21 ‘‘(3) include a section on countering violent ex22 tremism and terrorism that addresses— 

23 ‘‘(A) women’s contributions to preventing 

24 and countering violent extremism and terVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Mar 22, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1653.IH H1653

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1 rorism, including through their community, reli2 gious, and security roles; 

3 ‘‘(B) preventing, detecting, and countering 

4 women’s involvement in violent extremism and 

5 terrorism, including their roles as informants, 

6 facilitators, recruiters, and suicide bombers; 

7 ‘‘(C) how violent extremist and terrorist 

8 groups target women and infringe on their 

9 rights and safety, and on the broader relation10 ship between gender-based violence and extre11 mism and terrorism; 

12 ‘‘(D) the gender dimensions of disar13 mament, demobilization, and reintegration ac14 tivities, including women’s positive engagement 

15 and participation in such efforts and the disar16 mament of women combatants; and 

17 ‘‘(E) such other considerations as are de18 termined appropriate by the President.’’. 

19 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

20 subsection (a) of this section shall take effect on the date 

21 of the enactment of this section and apply beginning with 

22 the first Women, Peace, and Security Strategy that is re23 quired to be submitted pursuant to section 5 of the 

24 Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 after such date 

25 of enactment. 


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1 SEC. 6. WOMEN AND GIRLS AT RISK FROM VIOLENT EXTRE2 MISM AND CONFLICT STRATEGY. 

3 Paragraph (2) of section 7059(e) of the Department 

4 of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Ap5 propriations Act, 2017 (division J of Public Law 115–31; 

6 relating to the strategy to support women and girls who 

7 are at risk from extremism and conflict) is amended by 

8 inserting ‘‘and every four years thereafter’’ after ‘‘Act’’. 

9 SEC. 7. TRAINING FOR UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT OFFI10 CIALS. 

11 Section 6 of the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 

12 2017 (22 U.S.C. 2152j–2; Public Law 115–68) is amend13 ed— 

14 (1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the 

15 following new paragraph: 

16 ‘‘(4) Preventing and countering violent extre17 mism and terrorism.’’; and 

18 (2) in subsection (b)(1), by inserting ‘‘pre19 venting and countering violent extremism,’’ after 

20 ‘‘resolution,’’. 

21 SEC. 8. TRAINING PROVIDED BY THE UNITED STATES GOV22 ERNMENT. 

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall seek 

24 to increase the participation of women receiving training 

25 under the Department of State’s Anti-Terrorism Assist26 ance (ATA) programs, with the goal of doubling by the 


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1 date that is three years after the date of the enactment 

2 of this Act the total number of women receiving such 

3 training as of such date of enactment. 

4 (b) ANTITERRORISM ASSISTANCE.—Section 572 of 

5 the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2349aa– 

6 1) is amended— 

7 (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘and’’ after 

8 the semicolon at the end; 

9 (2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at 

10 the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

11 (3) by adding at the end the following new 

12 paragraph: 

13 ‘‘(4) to encourage foreign countries to include 

14 women participating in such activities.’’. 

15 SEC. 9. RESEARCH. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense, Sec17 retary of State, and the Administrator of the United 

18 States Agency for International Development, in consulta19 tion with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Di20 rector of National Intelligence, shall conduct research on 

21 gender and countering violent extremism and terrorism, 

22 such as on the following: 

23 (1) The root and proximate causes of women’s 

24 and men’s participation in terrorist and violent ex25 tremist organizations. 


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1 (2) How both violent extremism and countering 

2 violent extremism differently impact women and 

3 girls versus men and boys. 

4 (3) Ways to engage women and girls who are 

5 vulnerable to extremist and terrorist behavior. 

6 (4) Ways women and girls can assist in identi7 fying individuals of concern. 

8 (5) The intersection of violent extremism and 

9 terrorism and the following: 

10 (A) Gender-based violence. 

11 (B) Women’s empowerment at the house12 hold level, such as property and inheritance 

13 rights, bride-price and dowry, and the level of 

14 societal sanction for the killing or harming of 

15 women. 

16 (C) Adolescent girls’ empowerment, such 

17 as the level of early, child, and forced marriage, 

18 and of girls’ access to secondary education. 

19 (6) Best practices to support women preventing 

20 and countering violent extremism and terrorism. 

21 (b) UTILIZATION.—The Secretary of Defense, Sec22 retary of State, and the Administrator of the United 

23 States Agency for International Development shall utilize 

24 the results of research required under subsection (a) to 

25 inform programming, including by updating relevant counVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:54 Mar 22, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1653.IH H1653

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1 try, regional, and inter-agency strategies, projects, and ac2 tivities, of the Department of Defense, the Department of 

3 State, and the United States Agency for International De4 velopment, respectively. 

5 (c) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.—Not later than two 

6 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec7 retary of Defense, Secretary of State, and the Adminis8 trator of the United States Agency for International De9 velopment shall jointly submit to the appropriate congres10 sional committees a report on the results of research re11 quired under subsection (a). 

12 SEC. 10. ANNUAL COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM. 

13 Section 140 of the Foreign Relations Authorization 

14 Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 (22 U.S.C. 2656f) is 

15 amended— 

16 (1) by redesignating subsections (c) through (e) 

17 as subsections (d) through (f), respectively; and 

18 (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the fol19 lowing new subsection: 

20 ‘‘(c) GENDER ANALYSIS.— 

21 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The report required under 

22 subsection (a) of this section shall include, for not 

23 fewer than five foreign countries considered in such 

24 report, a gender analysis of the conflict drivers, 

25 power dynamics, and impacts that are relevant to 


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1 violent extremism in each such country, such as the 

2 following: 

3 ‘‘(A) Terrorist recruitment practices. 

4 ‘‘(B) Drivers of radicalization. 

5 ‘‘(C) Women’s participation, status, and 

6 agency in their homes, communities, and soci7 ety, including whether such women experience 

8 subordination, exclusion or gender-based vio9 lence. 

10 ‘‘(D) Access to resources and services. 

11 ‘‘(2) SELECTION CRITERIA.—Foreign countries 

12 shall be selected for purposes of the gender analysis 

13 required under paragraph (1) on the basis of the fol14 lowing: 

15 ‘‘(A) Low levels of gender equality in such 

16 country. 

17 ‘‘(B) Access necessary to conduct such a 

18 gender analysis in such country. 

19 ‘‘(C) Engagement or attempted engage20 ment of organizations, including organizations 

21 led by women, to empower women to prevent 

22 and counter violent extremism and terrorism in 

23 such country. 

24 ‘‘(D) Other criteria as determined by the 

25 Secretary of State.’’. 


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1 SEC. 11. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 

3 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, 

4 in conjunction with the Administrator of the United States 

5 Agency for International Development and the Secretary 

6 of Defense, shall provide a briefing and submit to the ap7 propriate congressional committees a report on the imple8 mentation of this Act. 

9 (b) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The report required 

10 under subsection (a) shall be posted and made available 

11 on a text-based, searchable, and publicly available internet 

12 website. 

13 SEC. 12. DEFINITIONS. 

14 In this Act: 

15 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT16 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com17 mittees’’ means— 

18 (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations, 

19 the Committee on Armed Services, the Com20 mittee on Homeland Security and Govern21 mental Affairs, and the Committee on Appro22 priations of the Senate; and 

23 (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the 

24 Committee on Armed Services, the Committee 

25 on Homeland Security, and the Committee on 

26 Appropriations of the House of Representatives. 


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1 (2) COUNTERING VIOLENT EXTREMISM.—The 

2 term ‘‘countering violent extremism’’ means proac3 tive actions to counter efforts by violent extremists 

4 to radicalize, recruit, and mobilize followers to vio5 lence and to address specific factors that facilitate 

6 violent extremist recruitment and radicalization to 

7 violence. 

8 (3) TERRORISM.—The term ‘‘terrorism’’ has 

9 the meaning given such term in subsection (d) of 

10 section 140 of the Foreign Relations Authorization 

11 Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 (22 U.S.C. 2656f). 

Æ 


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