IV 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 970 
Denouncing the practices of female genital mutilation, domestic violence, 
‘‘honor’’ killings, acid burning, dowry deaths, and other gender-based 
persecutions and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives 
that participation, protection, recognition, and independence of women 
is crucial to achieving a just, moral, and honorable society. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 28, 2006 
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas (for herself, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Ms. LEE, Ms. 
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. MATSUI, Mrs. CAPPS, Ms. WOOLSEY, Ms. 
SOLIS, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Ms. 
MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mrs. MCCARTHY, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. KENNEDY 
of Rhode Island, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. 
HARMAN, Mrs. TAUSCHER, and Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota) submitted 
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Inter-
national Relations 
RESOLUTION 
Denouncing the practices of female genital mutilation, do-
mestic violence, ‘‘honor’’ killings, acid burning, dowry 
deaths, and other gender-based persecutions and express-
ing the sense of the House of Representatives that par-
ticipation, protection, recognition, and independence of 
women is crucial to achieving a just, moral, and honor-
able society. 
Whereas human rights violations have occurred on six con-
tinents, have not been limited to times of war, and have 
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been committed for political gain, personal advantage, 
ethnic hatred, and in the name of deities and fundamen-
talist religious zeal; 
Whereas, in many parts of the world, there is a culture of 
violence and discrimination which denies women rights 
equal to those of men and which legitimizes the exploi-
tation of women for personal gratification or political 
purposes and gain; 
Whereas the United Nations Secretary General has declared 
that rape is a recognized tool of war; 
Whereas 200 women in Bangladesh are horribly disfigured 
when their spurned husbands or suitors burn them with 
acid each year; 
Whereas in North Africa, 6,000 women are genitally muti-
lated each day; 
Whereas more than 7,000 women in India will be killed by 
their families and in-laws in disputes over dowries each 
year; 
Whereas more than 15,000 women will be sold as sexual 
slaves in China this year; 
Whereas in the United States, a woman is raped every six 
minutes and a woman is battered every 15 seconds; 
Whereas the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of 
Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), adopted in 
1979 by the United Nations General Assembly, defines 
discrimination against women as ‘‘any distinction, exclu-
sion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the 
effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recogni-
tion, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of 
their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and 
women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in 
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the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other 
field’’; 
Whereas the United States has yet to ratify CEDAW; 
Whereas the intent of CEDAW is ‘‘to incorporate the prin-
ciple of equality of men and women in their legal system, 
abolish all discriminatory laws and adopt appropriate 
ones prohibiting discrimination against women; to estab-
lish tribunals and other public institutions to ensure the 
effective protection of women against discrimination; and 
to ensure elimination of all acts of discrimination against 
women by persons, organizations or enterprises’’; 
Whereas 183 countries, representing more than 90 percent of 
the Member States of the United Nations, are signatories 
to CEDAW; 
Whereas women are not chattel, may not be trafficked, or 
sold for services, and must not be denied the right to own 
property or the right of ownership; 
Whereas women perform two-thirds of the world’s work, but 
receive less than ten percent of the world’s income and 
own less than one percent of the world’s assets; 
Whereas the inalienable rights to freedom of worship, expres-
sion, association, and conscience, as well as the pursuit 
of happiness, must never be threatened or brutalized by 
violence, oppression, slavery, or manipulation; 
Whereas the leadership of women has led to social justice, 
economic prosperity, political stability, peaceful relations, 
and a healthy population; 
Whereas self-sufficiency, economic progress, and democracy 
are dependent on the welfare of women and children; 
Now, therefore, be it 
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Resolved, That— 
(1) the House of Representatives— 
(A) denounces the barbaric practices of fe-
male genital mutilation, domestic violence, 
‘‘honor’’ killings, acid burning, dowry deaths, 
and other gender-based persecutions; 
(B) demands the cessation of these bar-
baric practices; and 
(C) condemns the perpetrators of these 
barbaric practices; and 
(2) it is the sense of the House of Representa-
tives that— 
(A) participation, protection, recognition, 
and independence of women is crucial to achiev-
ing a just, moral, and honorable society; 
(B) regardless of religion, geography, or 
form of government, women should not be de-
nied equal rights, which should be defended 
when they are abridged, challenged, or violated; 
and 
(C) the United States should renew consid-
eration of and ratify its signature on the Con-
vention on the Elimination of All Forms of Dis-
crimination against Women (CEDAW). 
Æ 
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