SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Women, Peace, and 
Security Act of 2016’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Around the world, women remain under- 
represented in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, 
and post-conflict peace building efforts. 
(2) Despite the historic under-representation of 
women in conflict resolution processes, women in 
conflict-affected regions have nevertheless achieved 
significant success in— 
(A) moderating violent extremism; 
(B) countering terrorism; 
(C) resolving disputes through nonviolent 
mediation and negotiation; and 
(D) stabilizing societies by enhancing the 
effectiveness of security services, peacekeeping 
efforts, institutions, and decision-making proc-
esses. 
(3) Research shows that— 
(A) peace negotiations are more likely to 
end in a peace agreement when women’s groups 
play an influential role in the negotiation proc-
ess;
(B) once reached, a peace agreement is 35 
percent more likely to last at least 15 years if 
women have participated in the negotiation 
process; and 
(C) when women meaningfully participate, 
peace negotiations are more likely to address 
the underlying causes of the conflict, leading to 
more sustainable outcomes. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) the meaningful participation of women in 
conflict prevention and conflict resolution processes 
helps to promote more inclusive and democratic soci-
eties and is critical to the long-term stability of 
countries and regions; 
(2) the political participation and leadership of 
women in fragile environments, particularly during 
democratic transitions, is critical to sustaining last-
ing democratic institutions; and 
(3) the United States should be a global leader 
in promoting the meaningful participation of women 
in conflict prevention, management, and resolution, 
and post-conflict relief and recovery efforts.
SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It shall be the policy of the United States to promote 
the meaningful participation of women in all aspects of 
conflict prevention, management, and resolution, and post- 
conflict relief and recovery efforts, reinforced through dip-
lomatic efforts and programs that— 
(1) integrate the perspectives and interests of 
affected women into conflict-prevention activities and 
strategies; 
(2) encourage partner governments to adopt 
plans to improve the meaningful participation of 
women in peace and security processes and decision- 
making institutions; 
(3) promote the physical safety, economic secu-
rity, and dignity of women and girls; 
(4) support the equal access of women to aid 
distribution mechanisms and services; 
(5) collect and analyze gender data for the pur-
pose of developing and enhancing early warning sys-
tems of conflict and violence; 
(6) adjust policies and programs to improve 
outcomes in gender equality and the empowerment 
of women; and 
(7) monitor, analyze, and evaluate the efforts 
related to each strategy submitted under section 5 
and the impact of such efforts.
SEC. 5. UNITED STATES STRATEGY TO PROMOTE THE PAR-
TICIPATION OF WOMEN IN CONFLICT PRE-
VENTION AND PEACE BUILDING. 
(a) REQUIREMENT.—Not later than October 1, 2017, 
October 1, 2022, and October 1, 2027, the President, in 
consultation with the heads of the relevant Federal depart-
ments and agencies, shall submit to the appropriate con-
gressional committees and make publicly available a single 
government-wide strategy, to be known as the Women, 
Peace, and Security Strategy, that provides a detailed de-
scription of how the United States intends to fulfill the 
policy objectives in section 4. The strategy shall— 
(1) support and be aligned with plans developed 
by other countries to improve the meaningful partici-
pation of women in peace and security processes, 
conflict prevention, peace building, transitional proc-
esses, and decision-making institutions; and 
(2) include specific and measurable goals, 
benchmarks, performance metrics, timetables, and 
monitoring and evaluation plans, to ensure the ac-
countability and effectiveness of all policies and ini-
tiatives carried out under the strategy. 
(b) SPECIFIC PLANS FOR AGENCIES.—Each strategy 
under subsection (a) shall include a specific implementa-
tion plan from each of the relevant Federal departments 
and agencies that describes—
(1) the anticipated contributions of the depart-
ment or agency, including technical, financial, and 
in-kind contributions, to implement the strategy; and 
(2) the efforts of the department or agency to 
ensure that the policies and initiatives carried out 
pursuant to the strategy are designed to achieve 
maximum impact and long-term sustainability. 
(c) DEPARTMENT
OF STATE IMPLEMENTATION.— 
Within each relevant bureau of the Department of State, 
the Secretary of State shall task the current Principal 
Deputy Assistant Secretary with the responsibility for the 
implementation of the strategy under subsection (a) and 
the specific implementation plan for the Department 
under subsection (b), with respect to the roles and respon-
sibilities of such bureau. The Principal Deputy Assistant 
Secretaries tasked with such responsibility shall meet, at 
least twice a year, to review the implementation of the 
strategy and the plan and to contribute to the report 
under section 8(b). 
(d) COORDINATION.—The President should promote 
the meaningful participation of women in conflict preven-
tion, in coordination and consultation with international 
partners, including multilateral organizations, stake-
holders, and other relevant international organizations,
particularly in situations in which the direct engagement 
of the United States is not appropriate or advisable. 
(e) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the President, in implementing each strategy 
submitted under subsection (a), should— 
(1) provide technical assistance, training, and 
logistical support to female negotiators, mediators, 
peace builders, and stakeholders; 
(2) address security-related barriers to the 
meaningful participation of women; 
(3) increase the participation of women in exist-
ing programs funded by the United States Govern-
ment that provide training to foreign nationals re-
garding law enforcement, the rule of law, or profes-
sional military education; 
(4) support appropriate local organizations, es-
pecially women’s peace building organizations; 
(5) support the training, education, and mobili-
zation of men and boys as partners in support of the 
meaningful participation of women; 
(6) encourage the development of transitional 
justice and accountability mechanisms that are in-
clusive of the experiences and perspectives of women 
and girls;
(7) expand and apply gender analysis to im-
prove program design and targeting; and 
(8) conduct assessments that include the per-
spectives of women before implementing any new ini-
tiatives in support of peace negotiations, transitional 
justice and accountability, efforts to counter violent 
extremism, or security sector reform. 
SEC. 6. TRAINING REQUIREMENTS REGARDING THE PAR-
TICIPATION OF WOMEN IN CONFLICT PRE-
VENTION AND PEACE BUILDING. 
(a) FOREIGN SERVICE.—The Secretary of State, in 
conjunction with the Administrator of the United States 
Agency for International Development, shall ensure that 
all appropriate personnel (including special envoys, mem-
bers of mediation or negotiation teams, relevant members 
of the civil service or Foreign Service, and contractors) 
responsible for or deploying to countries or regions consid-
ered to be at risk of, undergoing, or emerging from violent 
conflict obtain training, as appropriate, in the following 
areas, each of which shall include a focus on women and 
ensuring meaningful participation by women: 
(1) Conflict prevention, mitigation, and resolu-
tion. 
(2) Protecting civilians from violence, exploi-
tation, and trafficking in persons.
(3) International human rights law and inter-
national humanitarian law. 
(b) DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.—The Secretary of 
Defense shall ensure that relevant personnel receive train-
ing, as appropriate, in the following areas: 
(1) Training in conflict prevention, peace proc-
esses, mitigation, resolution, and security initiatives 
that specifically addresses the importance of mean-
ingful participation by women. 
(2) Gender considerations and meaningful par-
ticipation by women, including training regarding— 
(A) international human rights law and 
international humanitarian law, as relevant; 
and 
(B) protecting civilians from violence, ex-
ploitation, and trafficking in persons. 
(3) Effective strategies and best practices for 
ensuring meaningful participation by women. 
SEC. 7. CONSULTATION AND COLLABORATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State and the 
Administrator of the United States Agency for Inter-
national Development shall establish guidelines for over-
seas United States personnel of the Department or the 
Agency, as the case may be, to consult with stakeholders 
regarding United States efforts to—
(1) prevent, mitigate, or resolve violent conflict; 
and 
(2) enhance the success of mediation and nego-
tiation processes by ensuring the meaningful partici-
pation of women. 
(b) FREQUENCY AND SCOPE.—The consultations re-
quired under subsection (a) shall take place regularly and 
include a range and representative sample of stakeholders, 
including local women, youth, ethnic and religious minori-
ties, 
and 
other 
politically 
under-represented 
or 
marginalized populations. 
(c) COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION.—The Sec-
retary of State should work with international, regional, 
national, and local organizations to increase the meaning-
ful participation of women in international peacekeeping 
operations, and should promote training that provides 
international peacekeeping personnel with the substantive 
knowledge and skills needed to ensure effective physical 
security and meaningful participation of women in conflict 
prevention and peace building. 
SEC. 8. REPORTS TO CONGRESS. 
(a) BRIEFING.—The Secretary of State, in conjunc-
tion with the Administrator of the United States Agency 
for International Development and the Secretary of De-
fense, shall brief the appropriate congressional commit-
tees, not later than 1 year after the date of the first sub-
mission of a strategy required under section 5, on— 
(1) existing, enhanced, and newly established 
training carried out pursuant to section 6; and 
(2) the guidelines established for overseas 
United States personnel to engage in consultations 
with stakeholders, pursuant to section 7. 
(b) REPORT
ON WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY 
STRATEGY.—Not later than 2 years after the date of the 
submission of each strategy required under section 5, the 
President shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a report that— 
(1) summarizes and evaluates the implementa-
tion of such strategy and the impact of United 
States diplomatic efforts and foreign assistance pro-
grams, projects, and activities to promote the mean-
ingful participation of women; 
(2) describes the nature and extent of the co-
ordination among the relevant Federal departments 
and agencies on the implementation of such strat-
egy; 
(3) outlines the monitoring and evaluation 
tools, mechanisms, and common indicators to assess 
progress made on the policy objectives in section 4; 
and
(4) describes the existing, enhanced, and newly 
established training carried out pursuant to section 
6. 
SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Appropriations, the 
Committee on Armed Services, and the Com-
mittee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and 
(B) the Committee on Appropriations, the 
Committee on Armed Services, and the Com-
mittee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Rep-
resentatives. 
(2) STAKEHOLDERS.—The term ‘‘stakeholders’’ 
means non-governmental and private sector entities 
engaged in or affected by conflict prevention and 
stabilization, peace building, protection, security, 
transition initiatives, humanitarian response, or re-
lated efforts, including— 
(A) registered or non-registered nonprofit 
organizations, advocacy groups, business or 
trade associations, labor unions, cooperatives, 
credit unions, relief or development organiza-
tions, community and faith-based organizations, 
philanthropic foundations, and tribal leaders or 
structures; 
(B) independent media, educational, or re-
search institutions; and 
(C) private enterprises, including inter-
national development firms, banks, and other fi-
nancial institutions, particularly small busi-
nesses and businesses owned by women or dis-
advantaged groups. 
(3) MEANINGFUL
PARTICIPATION.—The term 
‘‘meaningful participation’’ means safe, genuine, and 
effective access to, and present and active involve-
ment in the full range of formal or informal proc-
esses related to negotiation or mediation with re-
spect to any efforts toward the following: 
(A) Conflict prevention. 
(B) Resolution or mitigation of, or transi-
tion from, violent conflict. 
(C) Peacekeeping and peace building. 
(D) Post-conflict reconstruction, transition 
initiatives, elections, and governance. 
(E) Humanitarian response and recovery.
(4) RELEVANT
FEDERAL
DEPARTMENTS
AND 
AGENCIES.—The term ‘‘relevant Federal depart-
ments and agencies’’ means— 
(A) the United States Agency for Inter-
national Development; 
(B) the Department of State; 
(C) the Department of Defense; 
(D) the Department of Homeland Security; 
and 
(E) any other department or agency speci-
fied by the President for purposes of this Act. 
Passed the House of Representatives November 15, 
2016. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5332 
AN ACT 
To ensure that the United States promotes the 
meaningful participation of women in mediation 
and negotiation processes seeking to prevent, 
mitigate, or resolve violent conflict.