I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 242 

To require that activities carried out by the United States in South Sudan 

relating to governance, reconstruction and development, and refugee relief 

and assistance support the basic human rights of women and women’s 

participation and leadership in these areas. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 10, 2023 

Ms. JACKSON LEE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To require that activities carried out by the United States 

in South Sudan relating to governance, reconstruction 

and development, and refugee relief and assistance support the basic human rights of women and women’s 

participation and leadership in these areas. 

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 ‘‘Equal Rights and Ac5 cess for the Women of South Sudan Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 


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1 (1) Despite the 2011 referendum for secession 

2 that established the independent state of South 

3 Sudan, South Sudanese women continue to experi4 ence brutal violation of their human rights. 

5 (2) Strong and continued United States support 

6 can ensure that the advances made by South Suda7 nese women since July 2011 when the Republic of 

8 South Sudan gained its independence will continue 

9 and grow, rather than recede. 

10 (3) The United States has made a substantial 

11 contribution to the emergency relief and humani12 tarian efforts for South Sudan. Completing the 

13 United States mission in South Sudan will also re14 quire significant and long-term investments in devel15 opment and reconstruction assistance. 

16 (4) An inadequate healthcare system has re17 sulted in high maternal and infant mortality rates. 

18 The maternal mortality rate is 1,054 deaths per 

19 100,000 live births, making it one of the highest in 

20 the world. 

21 (5) South Sudan faces many difficulties with its 

22 lack of infrastructure and lacks significant human 

23 development factors, which can further marginalize 

24 women. 


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1 (6) Over 80 percent of women and girls in 

2 South Sudan are illiterate, and thus it is imperative 

3 to both secure and inform women’s rights within the 

4 national development. 

5 (7) With the assistance of internal aid and the 

6 proliferation of local women’s organizations, wom7 en’s equality can be integrated into South Sudan’s 

8 nation-building efforts. 

9 (8) South Sudan has made gains in incor10 porating women into the new regime with efforts 

11 such as inclusion in the legislative assembly, thus 

12 additional support from the United States serves to 

13 reinforce these ideals and implementations. 

14 (9) The women of South Sudan are taking the 

15 initiative to reach across the conflict divide and fos16 ter peace. Women’s perspectives and experiences in 

17 seeking solutions to conflicts are necessary to ensure 

18 lasting peace. 

19 (10) Adequate security in both urban and rural 

20 areas, particularly on military borders, is essential if 

21 women and girls are to exercise their human rights, 

22 work, attend school, and otherwise participate in and 

23 benefit from humanitarian and development pro24 grams sponsored by the United States. 


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1 SEC. 3. REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO UNITED STATES AC2 TIVITIES RELATING TO SOUTH SUDAN. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Activities described in subsections 

4 (b) through (e) that are carried out by the United States 

5 in South Sudan shall comply with the applicable require6 ments contained in such subsections. 

7 (b) GOVERNANCE OF SOUTH SUDAN.—With respect 

8 to the governance of South Sudan, the applicable require9 ments are the following: 

10 (1) Include the perspectives and advice from 

11 South Sudanese women’s organizations, networks, 

12 and leaders in United States policymaking related to 

13 the governance of South Sudan. 

14 (2) Promote the inclusion of a significant num15 ber of women in the National Legislature and future 

16 legislative bodies to ensure that women’s full range 

17 of human rights are included and upheld in any con18 stitution or legal structures of South Sudan. 

19 (3) Promote the continuation and strengthening 

20 of the rights of women as the South Sudan Govern21 ment transitions to a long-term government struc22 ture, and encourage the appointment of women to 

23 high-level positions within South Sudanese Govern24 ment. 

25 (c) POST-CONFLICT RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVEL26 OPMENT.—With respect to activities relating to post-conVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:54 Jan 20, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H242.IH H242

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1 flict stability in South Sudan, the applicable requirements 

2 are the following: 

3 (1) Ensure that a significant portion of United 

4 States development, humanitarian, and relief assist5 ance is channeled to local and United States-based 

6 South Sudanese organizations, particularly South 

7 Sudanese women’s organizations. Provide technical 

8 assistance, training, and capacity-building for local 

9 organizations to ensure that United States-funded 

10 efforts will be both effective and sustainable. 

11 (2) Encourage United States organizations that 

12 receive funds authorized by this Act to partner with 

13 or create South Sudanese-led counterpart organiza14 tions and provide these organizations with signifi15 cant financial resources, technical assistance, and 

16 capacity building. 

17 (3) Provide direct financial and programmatic 

18 assistance to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs ade19 quate to ensure that the Ministry is able to fulfill its 

20 mandate. 

21 (4) Promote multiyear women-centered eco22 nomic development programs, including programs to 

23 assist widows, female heads of household, women in 

24 rural areas, and disabled women. 


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1 (5) Increase women’s access to or ownership of 

2 productive assets such as land, water, agricultural 

3 inputs, credit, and property. 

4 (6) Provide long-term financial assistance for 

5 primary, secondary, higher, nontraditional, and voca6 tional education for South Sudanese girls, women, 

7 boys, and men. 

8 (7) Provide financial assistance to build the 

9 health infrastructure and to deliver high-quality 

10 comprehensive health care programs, including pri11 mary, maternal, child, reproductive, and mental 

12 health care. 

13 (8) Integrate education and training programs 

14 for former combatants with economic development 

15 programs to encourage their reintegration into soci16 ety and to promote post-conflict stability. 

17 (9) Provide assistance to rehabilitate children 

18 affected by the conflict, particularly child soldiers. 

19 (10) Support educational efforts to increase 

20 awareness with respect to landmines, facilitate the 

21 removal of landmines, and provide services to indi22 viduals with disabilities caused by landmines. 

23 (11) Include programs to prevent trafficking in 

24 persons, assist victims, and apprehend and prosecute 

25 traffickers in persons. 


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1 (d) SOUTH SUDANESE MILITARY AND POLICE.— 

2 With respect to training for military and police forces in 

3 South Sudan, the applicable requirements are the fol4 lowing: 

5 (1) Include training on the protection, rights, 

6 and the particular needs of women and emphasize 

7 that violations of women’s rights are intolerable and 

8 should be prosecuted. 

9 (2) Encourage such trainers who will carry out 

10 the activities in paragraph (1) to consult with wom11 en’s organizations in South Sudan to ensure that 

12 training content and materials are adequate, appro13 priate, and comprehensive. 

14 (e) RELIEF, RESETTLEMENT, AND REPATRIATION OF

15 REFUGEES AND THE INTERNALLY DISPLACED.—With re16 spect to the relief, resettlement, and repatriation of refu17 gees and internally displaced in South Sudan, the applica18 ble requirements are the following: 

19 (1) Take all necessary steps to ensure that 

20 women refugees and internally displaced in camps, 

21 urban areas, and villages are directly receiving food 

22 aid, shelter, relief supplies, and other services from 

23 United States-sponsored programs. 

24 (2) Take all necessary steps to ensure that 

25 women refugees in camps, urban areas, and villages 


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1 are accessing high-quality health and medical serv2 ices, including primary, maternal, child, and mental 

3 health services. 

4 (3) Take all necessary steps to ensure that 

5 women and children in refugee camps are protected 

6 from sexual exploitation. 

7 (4) Take all necessary steps to ensure refugees 

8 and internally displaced persons that seek to return 

9 to their place of origin can do so voluntarily, safely, 

10 and with the full protection of their rights. United 

11 States-sponsored efforts shall not coerce refugees or 

12 internally displaced persons to return to their places 

13 of origin. 

14 SEC. 4. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. 

15 Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment 

16 of this Act, and annually thereafter, the President shall 

17 prepare and transmit to Congress a report that contains 

18 documentation of the progress in implementing the re19 quirements of section 3. All data shall be disaggregated 

20 by sex. 

Æ 


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