I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6117 
To promote the empowerment, development, and prosperity of women globally, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 5, 2020 
Mr. MCCAUL
(for himself, Mrs. WAGNER, Ms. HOULAHAN, and Ms. 
FRANKEL) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To promote the empowerment, development, and prosperity 
of women globally, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Women’s Global Devel-
opment and Prosperity Act of 2020’’. 
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE WOMEN’S GLOBAL DEVEL-
OPMENT AND PROSPERITY INITIATIVE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall es-
tablish an office for the Women’s Global Development and 
Prosperity Initiative (W–GDP) under the office estab-
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lished in section 6(a) to lead and coordinate efforts related 
to the objectives set forth in subsection (b). 
(b) OBJECTIVES.—The W–GDP Initiative should be 
based on the following three pillars: 
(1) WOMEN
PROSPERING
IN
THE
WORK-
FORCE.—Advance women in the workforce by im-
proving access to quality vocational education and 
skills training, enabling women to secure jobs in 
their local economies. 
(2) 
WOMEN
SUCCEEDING
AS
ENTRE-
PRENEURS.—Promote 
women’s 
entrepreneurship 
and increase access to capital, markets, technical as-
sistance, and mentorship. 
(3) WOMEN
ENABLED
IN
THE
ECONOMY.— 
Identify and reduce the legal, regulatory, and social 
barriers, including disproportionate burdens of un-
paid care, gender-based violence and abuse, and 
underinvestment in education, that constrain wom-
en’s full and free participation in the global economy 
and promote improved practices. 
(c) SENSE OF CONGRESS ON ENABLING WOMEN IN 
THE ECONOMY.—It is the sense of Congress that, recog-
nizing the breadth of work necessary to address the overall 
enabling environment and supporting efforts related to the 
third pillar set forth under subsection (b)(3), it should be 
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the policy of the United States to ensure that the United 
States Government promotes the following five types of 
foundational legal reforms: 
(1) ACCESSING INSTITUTIONS.—Lifting barriers 
that prevent women from fully participating in the 
work force, ensuring women’s authority to sign legal 
documents such as contracts and court documents, 
and addressing unequal access to courts and admin-
istrative bodies for women, whether officially, 
through lack of proper enforcement, or through the 
unequal access of education that may prevent wom-
en’s literacy. 
(2) BUILDING
CREDIT.—Ensuring women’s 
equal access to credit and capital to start and grow 
their businesses, and prohibiting discrimination in 
access to credit on the basis of gender or marital 
status. 
(3) OWNING AND MANAGING PROPERTY.—Lift-
ing restrictions on women’s possessing and man-
aging property, including limitations on inheritance 
and the ability to transfer, purchase, or lease prop-
erty. 
(4) 
TRAVELING
FREELY.—Addressing 
con-
straints on women’s freedom of movement, including 
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restrictions on obtaining passports on the basis of 
gender. 
(5) REMOVING
RESTRICTIONS
ON
EMPLOY-
MENT.—Eliminating barriers that limit working 
hours, occupations, or tasks on the basis of gender. 
(d) POLICY ALIGNMENT.—The Women’s Global De-
velopment and Prosperity Initiative shall be closely aligned 
and coordinated with ongoing United States Government 
efforts to advance women’s empowerment globally, includ-
ing requirements under the Women, Peace, and Security 
Act of 2017 (Public Law 115–68) and the Women’s En-
trepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act of 2018 
(Public Law 115–428). 
SEC. 3. LEVERAGING UNITED STATES ASSISTANCE. 
The Secretary of State, in coordination with the Am-
bassador-at-Large for Women’s Empowerment and the 
heads of relevant Federal agencies, including those set 
forth in section 5(b), may work with the private sector 
and nongovernmental organizations to leverage public and 
private capital to complement W–GDP Initiative programs 
and related efforts. 
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro-
priated not less than $200,000,000 for fiscal years 2021 
through 2025 for a W–GDP Fund, established at the 
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United States Agency for International Development, with 
a focus on sourcing and scaling the most impactful pro-
grams for women’s economic empowerment and ensuring 
there is not duplication of effort with other departments 
and agencies. 
(b) APPROPRIATIONS REQUIREMENT.—Funds au-
thorized to be appropriated by this section shall only be 
made available subject to the availability of appropria-
tions. 
(c) OVERSIGHT.—Funds authorized to be appro-
priated by this section shall be jointly overseen by the 
United States Agency for International Development and 
the Ambassador for Women’s Empowerment. 
SEC. 5. INTERAGENCY STEERING GROUP AND ADVISORY 
COUNCIL. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INTERAGENCY STEERING 
GROUP.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The President shall establish 
a steering group (the ‘‘Steering Group’’), with rep-
resentation from appropriate Federal departments 
and agencies, to carry out the policy goals of this 
Act. The President shall designate a chair or co- 
chairs to lead the activities of the Steering Group in 
coordination with the Ambassador-at-Large for 
Women’s Empowerment. 
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(2) MEMBERSHIP.—The Steering Group shall 
include representatives from— 
(A) the Department of State; 
(B) the Department of the Treasury; 
(C) the Department of Commerce; 
(D) the Department of Labor; 
(E) the Department of Defense; 
(F) the United States Agency for Inter-
national Development (USAID); 
(G) the Millennium Challenge Corporation; 
(H) the Peace Corps; 
(I) the United States International Devel-
opment Finance Corporation (DFC); 
(J) the Inter-American Foundation; 
(K) the United States African Develop-
ment Foundation; 
(L) the components of the executive offices 
of the President, including the Office of Man-
agement and Budget, and the Office of the 
United States Trade Representative; and 
(M) other Federal agencies, as determined 
appropriate by guidelines developed by the co- 
chairs. 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ADVISORY COUNCIL.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The President may establish 
a W–GDP Advisory Council (in this subsection re-
ferred to as the ‘‘Council’’) to advise the Secretary 
of State, and others as appropriate. 
(2) MEMBERSHIP.—Members of the Council 
should be appointed by the Secretary of State and 
may consist of up to 16 members that includes rep-
resentation from non-governmental organizations, 
think tanks, advocacy organizations, foundations, 
the private sector, faith-based organizations, wom-
en’s organizations, and other institutions engaged in 
promoting women’s economic empowerment globally. 
(3) FUNCTIONS.—The Secretary of State 
should call upon members of the Council, either col-
lectively or individually, to advise the Interagency 
Steering Group regarding the extent to which the 
W–GDP Initiative is meeting its objectives and any 
suggestions for improvements with respect to meet-
ing those objectives, including implementation chal-
lenges and opportunities. 
(4) FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT.—The 
Council shall not be subject to the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.). 
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