that contains a description of the progress toward
the goal referred to in paragraph (1), including a
description of not only the relevant activities imple-
mented, but also on the overall impact on reduction
of indicators of women’s poverty as developed and
agreed upon pursuant to subsection (b)(1).
(d) REMOVING LEGAL AND STRUCTURAL BARRIERS
TO REDUCING WOMEN’S POVERTY.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator of the
United States Agency for International Develop-
ment, working closely with the Deputy Assistant Ad-
ministrator for Women in Development, shall con-
duct an analysis of legal and structural barriers to
reducing women’s poverty in developing countries in
which the Agency is conducting programs. Such bar-
riers, for example, may include laws that bar or dis-
courage women’s ownership of assets such as land,
property, financial resources, and other related bar-
riers.
(2) NEW ACTIVITIES.—Based on the results of
the analysis under paragraph (1), the Administrator
shall institute new activities to assist developing
countries in removing barriers referred to in para-
graph (1).
(3) FUNDING.—Of the amount made available
from the supplemental fund pursuant to section 105
of this Act for a fiscal year, the Administrator is au-
thorized to use up to $1,000,000 of such amount to
carry out this subsection.
(e) DEVELOPMENT
OF SOCIAL INSURANCE PRO-
GRAMS
IN
DEVELOPING
AND
TRANSITIONAL
COUN-
TRIES.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Treas-
ury shall encourage governments of developing and
transitional economy countries to develop and imple-
ment social insurance programs as part of their pov-
erty alleviation and national development strategies.
At a minimum, the Secretary shall ensure that ac-
tions and policies of the Department of the Treasury
do not hinder the abilities of such governments to
provide social insurance programs for their citizens,
pursue national employment goals, and implement
programs to stimulate demand for labor.
(2) MULTILATERAL
DEVELOPMENT
BANKS.—
The Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the
United States executive director to each multilateral
development bank to use the voice, vote, and influ-
ence of the United States—
(A) to vote against any loan or project that
will negatively impact the ability of a govern-
ment of a developing or transitional economy
country to provide social insurance programs
for its citizens, pursue national employment
goals, or implement programs to stimulate de-
mand for labor; and
(B) to vote against any loan or project in
countries receiving loans from the International
Development Association or participating in the
program for heavily indebted poor countries
that includes user fees or other cost recovery
mechanisms that do not include safeguards to
ensure that such fees do not adversely impact
the poor or reduce access to basic services such
as health care, education, water, and electricity.
(f) UTILIZING DEBT RELIEF PROGRAMS TO REDUCE
WOMEN’S POVERTY.—
(1) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
the Treasury shall submit to Congress a report on
debt relief programs led by, or coordinated with,
international financial institutions, including the ex-
tent to which poor countries and the poorest of the
poor, especially women and girls, benefit from debt
relief, including measurable evidence of any such
benefits.
(2) ADDITIONAL
REQUIREMENT.—The Sec-
retary of the Treasury shall instruct the United
States Executive Directors at the International
Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the
International Monetary Fund to use the voice, vote,
and influence of the United States to ensure that
the savings from debt cancellation are used for pov-
erty reduction programs in a process that is fair and
transparent, and that includes the participation of
national governments, parliamentary bodies, non-
governmental organizations, including women’s orga-
nizations, and other civil society institutions.
(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
(1) 
INTERNATIONAL
FINANCIAL
INSTITU-
TION.—The term ‘‘international financial institu-
tion’’ means the International Bank for Reconstruc-
tion and Development, the International Develop-
ment Association, the International Finance Cor-
poration, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee
Agency, the International Monetary Fund, the Asian
Development Bank, the African Development Bank,
the African Development Fund, the Inter-American
Investment Corporation, the Inter-American Devel-
opment Bank, and the European Bank for Recon-
struction and Development.
(2) SOCIAL INSURANCE PROGRAMS.—The term
‘‘social insurance programs’’ means all forms of pub-
lic insurance that mitigate against declines in in-
come or against a particular risk, such as unemploy-
ment, disability, or old age.
(3) USER FEES.—The term ‘‘user fees’’ means
fees applied to services or utilities designed to re-
cover full or partial costs of services.
SEC. 202. SUPPORTING WOMEN’S BUSINESSES THROUGH
ACCESS 
TO 
RESOURCES 
AND 
FINANCIAL
MARKETS
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings:
(1) Many poor entrepreneurs are trapped in
poverty because they cannot obtain credit at reason-
able rates to expand their otherwise viable self-em-
ployment activities. Women in particular have dif-
ficultly accessing credit because many countries bar
women from legally owning assets that they can
offer as collateral.
(2) Microenterprise plays a vital role in the ef-
forts of the United States to lead the development
of a new global financial architecture. Recent shocks
to international financial markets demonstrate how
the financial sector can shape national development
and impact poverty. Microfinance is also a powerful
tool for building a more inclusive financial sector
serving the broad majority of the world’s population,
including poor women, generating social stability
and prosperity.
(3) Beyond microenterprise, women are gener-
ating the most growth in the small- and medium-
sized business sector in developing and transitional
economies. Around the world, women’s small- and
medium-sized businesses represent one-quarter to
one-third of all businesses. New jobs generated
through this sector can play an important role in
providing gainful, safe, and dignified employment to
the poor.
(4) Information technology is an important tool
for furthering women’s economic advancement. For
example, information technology can help women
gain market information in order to sell their goods
at a fair price and to expand their market participa-
tion. In many developing countries less than 1 per-
cent of the population has access to information
technology—either male or female. High rates of il-