I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2484 
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. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 17, 2017 
Mrs. NOEM (for herself, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. ROYCE of California, and Mr. 
ENGEL) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed 
Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
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. 
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 ‘‘Women, Peace, and 
Security Act of 2017’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) Around the world, women remain underrep-
resented in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, 
and post-conflict peace building efforts. 
(2) Women in conflict-affected regions have 
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 suggests that peace negotiations 
are more likely to succeed and to result in durable 
peace agreements when women participate in the 
peace process. 
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; 
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(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 
overseas conflict prevention, management, and resolution, 
and post-conflict relief and recovery efforts, reinforced 
through diplomatic 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; 
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(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 one year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, and again four years 
thereafter, the President, in consultation with the heads 
of the relevant Federal departments and agencies, shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees and 
make publicly available a single government-wide strategy, 
to be known as the Women, Peace, and Security Strategy, 
that provides a detailed description 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, 
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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 DEPARTMENTS AND AGEN-
CIES.—Each strategy under subsection (a) shall include 
a specific implementation 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) COORDINATION.—The President should promote 
the meaningful participation of women in conflict preven-
tion, in coordination and consultation with international 
partners, including, as appropriate, multilateral organiza-
tions, stakeholders, and other relevant international orga-
nizations, particularly in situations in which the direct en-
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gagement of the United States Government is not appro-
priate or advisable. 
(d) 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) encourage increased participation of women 
in existing programs funded by the United States 
Government that provide training to foreign nation-
als regarding law enforcement, the rule of law, or 
professional 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; 
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(7) expand and apply gender analysis, as appro-
priate, to improve program design and targeting; 
and 
(8) conduct assessments that include the per-
spectives of women regarding new initiatives in sup-
port 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. 
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(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 may establish guidelines or take 
other steps to ensure overseas United States personnel of 
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the Department of State or the United States Agency for 
International Development, as the case may be, consult 
with appropriate stakeholders, including local women, 
youth, ethnic and religious minorities, and other politically 
underrepresented or marginalized populations, 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) 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.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of the first submission of a strategy required under section 
5, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Adminis-
trator of the United States Agency for International De-
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velopment and the Secretary of Defense, shall brief the 
appropriate congressional committees on existing, en-
hanced, or newly established training carried out pursuant 
to section 6. 
(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 set forth in 
section 4; and 
(4) describes the existing, enhanced, or newly 
established training carried out pursuant to section 
6. 
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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) 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. 
(3) STAKEHOLDERS.—The term ‘‘stakeholders’’ 
means nongovernmental and private sector entities 
engaged in or affected by conflict prevention and 
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stabilization, peace building, protection, security, 
transition initiatives, humanitarian response, or re-
lated efforts. 
Æ 
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