are committed to continuing to promote women’s 
rights in Iraq.’’. 
(22) Women have participated in planning for 
Iraq’s political future in the following way: 
(A) 3 out of 25 people on the Iraqi Gov-
erning Council are women. 
(B) 1 of the government ministries is led 
by a woman. 16 of the 25 deputy minister posi-
tions are held by women. 
(C) 15 of the 1,000 nationally-appointed 
judges are women. 
(23) Resolution 137 was adopted in a closed 
session (sponsored by conservative Shiite members) 
on December 29, 2003, with the intent of reversing 
family law. The adoption of that resolution threat-
ened negative impacts on the rights of women to 
education, employment, mobility, property inherit-
ance, divorce, and child custody. 
(24) Ambassador Bremer, who has veto power, 
stated that he would not sign Resolution 137 into 
law. 
(25) The Iraqi Governing Council revoked Res-
olution 137 on February 27, 2004, in part due to 
pressure from women’s groups. However some mem-
bers of the Governing Council walked out to protest 
this action. 
(26) The Transitional Administrative Law 
(TAL) that establishes the framework for the in-
terim government of Iraq was officially signed on 
March 8, 2004. It aims to achieve a goal of having 
women constitute not less than 25 percent of the 
members of Iraq’s interim legislature. It does not ex-
press a goal for a representation rate for women in 
the executive or judicial branch of the interim gov-
ernment. It also provides that Sharia, the Islamic 
law, can be a source, but not the only source, of 
Iraqi law. 
(27) United States officials propose to turn 
over political power to Iraqis on June 30, 2004. 
Some factions have already voiced strong objection 
to the TAL and could press ahead with their goal 
of making Sharia the supreme law of Iraq. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that—
(1) the United States should ensure that 
women and children in Iraq benefit from the libera-
tion of Iraq from the regime of Saddam Hussein;
(2) women of all ethnic groups in Iraq should 
be included in the economic and political reconstruc-
tion of Iraq; 
(3) women should be involved in the drafting 
and review of the key legal instruments, especially 
the constitution, of the emerging nation in Iraq in 
order to ensure that the transition to that nation 
does not involve or facilitate the erosion of the rights 
of women in Iraq; 
(4) women should have membership in any leg-
islature or other committee, body, or structure con-
vened to advance the reconstruction of Iraq that 
builds on the goal provided for in the Transitional 
Administrative Law; 
(5) women should have a similar level of rep-
resentation in leadership posts in all levels of govern-
ment in Iraq, including ministers and judges, wheth-
er local or national, and women should be integrated 
in all levels of political process in Iraq, especially the 
building of political parties; 
(6) the presence of women on the Iraqi Gov-
erning Council should better represent the percent-
age of women in the general population of Iraq; 
(7) the participation and contribution of women 
to the economy of Iraq should be fostered by award-
ing contracts and sub-contracts to women and 
women-led businesses and by ensuring the avail-
ability of credit for women; 
(8) continued emphasis and support should be 
granted to grass-roots organization and civil society 
building in Iraq, with special emphasis on orga-
nizing, mobilizing, educating, training, and building 
the capacities of women and ensuring the incorpora-
tion of their voices in decision-making in Iraq; 
(9) the security needs of women in Iraq should 
be addressed and special emphasis placed on recruit-
ing and training women for the police force in Iraq; 
and 
(10) the Government of Iraq should adhere to 
internationally accepted standards on human rights 
and rights of women and children. 
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF ASSISTANCE. 
(a) EDUCATION
AND HEALTH CARE ASSISTANCE 
FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN.—The President is author-
ized to provide education and health care assistance for 
the women and children living in Iraq and to women and 
children of Iraq who are refugees in other countries. 
(b) ENHANCEMENT OF POLITICAL PARTICIPATION, 
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT, CIVIL SOCIETY, AND PER-
SONAL SECURITY OF WOMEN.—The President is author-
ized to provide assistance for the enhancement of political 
participation, economic empowerment, civil society, and 
personal security of women in Iraq. 
(c) SENSE OF CONGRESS ON PROVISION OF AUTHOR-
IZED ASSISTANCE.—It is the sense of Congress that the 
President should ensure that assistance is provided under 
subsections (a) and (b) in a manner that protects and pro-
motes the human rights of all people in Iraq, utilizing in-
digenous institutions and nongovernmental organizations, 
especially women’s organizations, to the extent possible. 
(d) SENSE OF CONGRESS ON PROMOTION OF HUMAN 
RIGHTS IN PROVISION OF ASSISTANCE TO GOVERNMENT 
OF IRAQ.—In providing assistance to the government of 
Iraq, the President should ensure that such assistance is 
conditioned on the government of Iraq making continued 
progress toward internationally accepted standards of 
human rights and the rights of women. 
(e) REPORTS.—Not later than 6 months after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and every 6 months 
thereafter during the 3-year period beginning on such 
date, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appro-
priate congressional committees a report that sets forth 
the following: 
(1) A comprehensive description and assess-
ment of the conditions and status of women and
children in Iraq as of the date of the report, includ-
ing a description of any changes in such conditions 
and status during the 6-month period ending on 
such date. 
(2) A statement of the number of women and 
children of Iraq who are in refugee camps through-
out the Middle East as of the date of such report, 
a description of their conditions as of such date, and 
a description of any changes in such conditions dur-
ing the 6-month period ending on such the date. 
(3) A statement of the expenditures of the 
United States Government during the 6-month pe-
riod ending on the date of such report to promote 
the education, health, security, human rights, oppor-
tunities for employment, judicial and civil society in-
volvement and political participation of women in 
Iraq. 
(f) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DE-
FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congres-
sional committees’’ means—
(1) the Committees on Appropriations and For-
eign Relations of the Senate; and
(2) the Committees on Appropriations and 
International Relations of the House of Representa-
tives.
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