I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1482
To authorize assistance for women and girls in Afghanistan, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 27, 2003
Mrs. MALONEY (for herself and Mr. ROHRABACHER) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations 
A BILL 
To authorize assistance for women and girls in Afghanistan, 
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 ‘‘Access for Afghan 
Women Act of 2003’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) Despite the removal of the Taliban from 
power, women in Afghanistan continue to experience
brutal violation of their human rights, generally out-
side of Kabul where warlords are reexerting control. 
(2) Strong and continued United States support 
can ensure that the advances made by Afghan 
women since the fall of the Taliban will continue and 
grow, rather than recede. 
(3) The United States has made a substantial 
contribution to the emergency relief and humani-
tarian efforts for Afghanistan. Completing the 
United States mission in Afghanistan will also re-
quire significant and long-term investments in devel-
opment and reconstruction assistance. 
(4) The maternal mortality rate in Afghanistan 
is the second highest in the world, with recent re-
ports estimating that every 30 minutes an Afghan 
woman dies of pregnancy related causes, or approxi-
mately 15,000 women every year. The estimated ma-
ternal mortality rate of 1,600 deaths per 100,000 
live births can be significantly reduced through ac-
cess to primary health care services, including safe 
birthing supplies, emergency obstetric care, prenatal 
and postnatal care, contraception, and prevention 
and treatment for the effects of sexual coercion and 
rape.
(5) Women comprise 75 percent or more of the 
refugees and internally displaced in camps, urban 
areas, and villages in Afghanistan. 
(6) 85 percent of Afghanistan’s population lives 
in rural areas. The women in rural areas perform 
vital roles in food production, processing, and prepa-
ration. Successful reconstruction and development 
assistance must target rural women as part of any 
agricultural interventions. 
(7) Within Afghanistan and outside of Afghani-
stan, local women’s organizations are delivering crit-
ical services and have the knowledge and experience 
to assist the United States in delivering effective re-
lief aid. 
(8) The Afghan Ministry for Women’s Affairs is 
an important ministry that is essential for re-estab-
lishing women’s human rights, ensuring that women 
are included in all development efforts, and deliv-
ering critical legal, health, education, and economic 
services to women throughout Afghanistan’s 30 
provinces. 
(9) Afghan women are taking the initiative to 
reach across the conflict divide and foster peace. 
Women’s perspectives and experiences in seeking so-
lutions to conflicts are necessary to ensure lasting 
peace. 
(10) Adequate security in both urban and rural 
areas is essential if women and girls are to exercise 
their human rights, work, attend school, and other-
wise participate in and benefit from humanitarian 
and development programs sponsored by the United 
States. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF AFGHAN WOMEN’S FUND. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator of the 
United States Agency for International Development shall 
establish a fund for the purpose of assisting women and 
girls in Afghanistan in the areas of political and human 
rights, health care, education, training, security, and shel-
ter. 
(b) ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED.—The fund established 
under subsection (a) shall support the following activities: 
(1) Direct financial and programmatic assist-
ance to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs in Afghani-
stan (hereafter in this section referred to as the 
‘‘Ministry’’) to promote the strengthening of the 
Ministry as the Government of Afghanistan con-
tinues its transition to a long-term government 
structure and to enable the Ministry to fulfill its
(b) GOVERNANCE OF AFGHANISTAN.—With respect 
to the governance of Afghanistan, the applicable require-
ments are the following: 
(1) Include the perspectives and advice of Af-
ghan women’s organizations, networks, and leaders 
in United States policymaking related to the govern-
ance of Afghanistan. 
(2) Promote the inclusion of a significant num-
ber of women in future legislative bodies to ensure 
that women’s full range of human rights are in-
cluded and upheld in any constitution or legal struc-
tures of Afghanistan. 
(3) Encourage the appointment of women to 
high level positions within Afghan Ministries. 
(c) POST-CONFLICT RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVEL-
OPMENT.—With respect to activities relating to post-con-
flict stability in Afghanistan, the applicable requirements 
are the following: 
(1) Encourage United States organizations that 
receive funds authorized by this Act to partner with 
or create Afghan-led counterpart organizations and 
provide these organizations with significant financial 
resources, technical assistance, and capacity build-
ing.
(2) Increase women’s access to or ownership of 
productive assets such as land, water, agricultural 
inputs, credit, and property. 
(3) Provide long-term financial assistance for 
primary, secondary, higher, nontraditional, and voca-
tional education for Afghan girls, women, boys, and 
men. 
(4) Integrate education and training programs 
for former combatants with economic development 
programs to encourage their reintegration into soci-
ety and to promote post-conflict stability. 
(5) Provide assistance to rehabilitate children 
affected by the conflict, particularly child soldiers. 
(6) Support educational efforts to increase 
awareness with respect to landmines, facilitate the 
removal of landmines, and provide services to indi-
viduals with disabilities caused by landmines. 
(d) AFGHAN MILITARY AND POLICE.—With respect 
to training for military and police forces in Afghanistan, 
the applicable requirements are the following: 
(1) Include training on the protection, rights, 
and the particular needs of women and emphasize 
that violations of women’s rights are intolerable and 
should be prosecuted.
(2) Encourage such trainers who will carry out 
the activities in paragraph (1) to consult with wom-
en’s organizations in Afghanistan to ensure that 
training content and materials are adequate, appro-
priate, and comprehensive. 
(e) RELIEF, RESETTLEMENT, AND REPATRIATION OF 
REFUGEES
AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS.—
With respect to the relief, resettlement, and repatriation 
of refugees and internally displaced persons in Afghani-
stan, the applicable requirements are the following: 
(1) Take all necessary steps to ensure that 
women refugees and internally displaced persons in 
camps, urban areas, and villages are directly receiv-
ing food aid, shelter, relief supplies, and other serv-
ices from United States-sponsored programs. 
(2) Take all necessary steps to ensure that 
women refugees in camps, urban areas, and villages 
are accessing high-quality health and medical serv-
ices, including primary, maternal, child, and mental 
health services. 
(3) Take all necessary steps to ensure that 
women and children in refugee camps are protected 
from sexual exploitation. 
(4) Take all necessary steps to ensure refugees 
and internally displaced persons that seek to return
to their place of origin can do so voluntarily, safely, 
and with the full protection of their rights. United 
States-sponsored efforts shall not coerce refugees or 
internally displaced persons to return to their places 
of origin. 
SEC. 6. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. 
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the President 
shall prepare and transmit to Congress a report that con-
tains documentation of the progress in implementing the 
requirements of section 5. All data in the report shall be 
disaggregated by gender.
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