I 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5548 
To authorize assistance for women and girls in Iraq, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 7, 2006 
Mrs. MALONEY (for herself, Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California, Mrs. DAVIS of 
California, and Mrs. MCCARTHY) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on International Relations 
A BILL 
To authorize assistance for women and girls in Iraq, 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 ‘‘Empowerment of Iraqi 
Women Act of 2006’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) The Saddam Hussein regime committed 
human rights atrocities against the citizens of Iraq. 
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(2) In the past, women in Iraq played impor-
tant roles in public and private industries, including 
the government. 
(3) Iraqi women currently are serving in the 
National Assembly, government ministries, and local 
governments. 
(4) The reconstruction of Iraq and the writing 
of the permanent Iraqi Constitution provide a 
unique opportunity to continue this success and to 
affirm women’s human rights under law. 
(5) For women to fully participate in Iraqi soci-
ety, they must have the guaranteed right to vote, the 
guaranteed right to run for office, guaranteed equal-
ity of opportunity, guaranteed equality in family law, 
guaranteed equal access to the civil courts, protec-
tion from gender-motivated violence, and guaranteed 
access to health care, education, and employment. 
(6) The United States, through its involvement 
in Iraq, must be actively working toward guaran-
teeing the full inclusion and participation of Iraqi 
women in the political and economic life of their 
country, and must continue to do so throughout the 
reconstruction process. 
(7) The United States must be actively working 
to ensure that the lives of Iraqi women are made 
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better, not worse, because of United States interven-
tion. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF IRAQI 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 Iraq in the areas of political, legal, 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 Iraq Ministry of Women’s Affairs (here-
after in this section referred to as the ‘‘Ministry’’) 
to promote the strengthening of the Ministry as the 
Government of Iraq continues its transition to a 
long-term government structure. The Ministry may 
use such assistance to support activities such as the 
following: 
(A) Multiyear women-centered economic 
development programs, including programs to 
assist widows, female heads of household, 
women in rural areas, and disabled women. 
(B) Collaboration with the Iraq Ministry of 
Health to construct health infrastructure and 
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delivery of high-quality comprehensive health 
care programs, including primary, maternal, 
child, reproductive, and mental health care. 
(C) Programs to prevent trafficking in per-
sons, assist victims, and apprehend and pros-
ecute traffickers in persons. 
(D) Programs to prevent gender-motivated 
violence targeted at women, including domestic 
violence. 
(2) Collaboration with the Iraq Ministry of 
Education to construct women’s educational facili-
ties in Iraq and promote the education of Iraqi girls 
beyond primary school. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the 
Administrator of the United States Agency for Inter-
national Development shall prepare and submit to Con-
gress a report that contains documentation of activities 
of the United States Agency for International Develop-
ment, the Iraq Ministry of Women’s Affairs, the Iraq Min-
istry of Health, and the Iraq Ministry of Education to im-
plement the requirements of this section. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$22,500,000 for each of the fiscal years 2007, 2008, and 
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2009 and such sums as are necessary for each subsequent 
fiscal year. 
SEC. 4. ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, not less 
than 15 percent of the aggregate amount of economic and 
humanitarian assistance authorized to be made available 
to Iraq for each of the fiscal years 2007, 2008, and 2009 
shall be made available for assistance directly to Iraqi-led 
local nongovernmental organizations, including not less 
than 5 percent of that 15 percent for Iraqi women-led or-
ganizations, with demonstrated experience in delivering 
services to Iraqi women and children to support their pro-
grammatic activities and organizational development. In 
recognition of the appreciating capacity of Iraqi-led local 
nongovernmental organizations, including Iraqi women-led 
organizations, an appropriate percentage of the aggregate 
amount of economic and humanitarian assistance author-
ized to be made available to Iraq for fiscal year 2010 and 
each subsequent fiscal year shall be made available for as-
sistance directly to Iraqi-led local nongovernmental organi-
zations, including Iraqi women-led organizations. 
SEC. 5. REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO UNITED STATES AC-
TIVITIES IN IRAQ. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Activities described in subsections 
(b) through (d) that are carried out by the United States 
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in Iraq shall comply with the applicable requirements con-
tained in such subsections. 
(b) GOVERNANCE OF IRAQ.—With respect to the gov-
ernance of Iraq, the applicable requirements are the fol-
lowing: 
(1) Include the perspectives and advice of Iraqi 
women’s organizations, networks, and leaders in 
United States policymaking related to the govern-
ance of Iraq. 
(2) Promote the achievement of 25 percent of 
the seats in the National Assembly to be held by 
Iraqi women to ensure that women’s full range of 
human rights are included and upheld in any con-
stitution or legal structures of Iraq. 
(3) Encourage the appointment of women to 
high level positions within Iraqi Ministries. 
(c) POST-CONFLICT RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVEL-
OPMENT.—With respect to activities relating to post-con-
flict stability in Iraq, the applicable requirements are the 
following: 
(1) Encourage United States organizations that 
receive funds authorized by this Act to partner with 
or create Iraqi-led counterpart organizations and 
provide these organizations with significant financial 
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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 Iraqi 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. 
(d) IRAQI MILITARY AND POLICE.—With respect to 
training for military and police forces in Iraq, the applica-
ble 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 Iraq to ensure that training 
content and materials are adequate, appropriate, 
and comprehensive. 
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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 activities of the United States to 
guarantee the rights of Iraqi women, including progress 
in implementing the requirements of section 5 and on the 
status of women’s rights in Iraq. All data in the report 
shall be disaggregated by gender. 
Æ 
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