I 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4117 
To provide assistance and security for women and children in Afghanistan, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 1, 2004 
Mrs. MALONEY (for herself, Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia, Ms. CORRINE 
BROWN of Florida, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. FROST, Mr. 
MCNULTY, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. WYNN, Ms. LOFGREN, and Mr. WEXLER) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
International Relations 
A BILL 
To provide assistance and security for women and children 
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 ‘‘Afghan Women Secu-
rity and Freedom Act of 2004’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) The Taliban regime denied women in Af-
ghanistan the most basic human rights, including
the rights to work, to an education, to health care, 
and to move freely. 
(2) The Taliban regime subjected any women 
who attempted to exercise her human rights to beat-
ings and imprisonment and women in Afghanistan 
who lived under the Taliban regime suffer from 
long-term consequences of such oppression. 
(3) According to the Afghan Ministry of Wom-
en’s Affairs, as a result of 23 years of war and the 
restrictions imposed by the Taliban after the war 
ended, most women in Afghanistan do not have ade-
quate food, access to health care, or opportunities 
for education, employment, or economic livelihood, 
and such women have experienced violence to them-
selves or their families. 
(4) Women in Afghanistan have one of the 
highest mortality rates in the world, with an esti-
mated 16,000 maternal deaths annually. 
(5) The strengthening of institutions and non- 
governmental organizations that are led by women in 
Afghanistan is essential to building civil society and 
holding the Government of Afghanistan accountable 
for protecting women’s rights and human rights. 
(6) It is necessary for significant numbers of 
women to hold positions within the Government of
Afghanistan, including in the cabinet, the Loya 
Jirga, government commissions, and other key posts, 
and to hold official positions within United Nations 
agencies working in Afghanistan to foster democracy 
and protect the rights of women in Afghanistan. 
(7) Despite the collapse of the Taliban regime 
in Afghanistan in 2001, warlords and the Taliban 
are reorganizing and reemerging in Afghanistan, im-
periling the stability of the central government, the 
security of the people, and the exercise of human 
rights by women. 
(8) The United Nations Secretary-General’s 
Special Representative to Afghanistan said that the 
deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan may 
force a delay in elections in Afghanistan and that 
expansion of international peacekeeping forces is 
necessary to make fair, democratic voter registration 
and elections possible. 
(9) In January 2004, the Government of Af-
ghanistan adopted a new constitution that includes 
basic rights for women, but enforcement of the pro-
visions of the constitution will be difficult unless se-
curity in Afghanistan is dramatically improved. 
(10) Despite the fact that violations of human 
rights and women’s rights continue with impunity in
Afghanistan, Provincial Reconstruction Teams com-
posed of United States military forces, Department 
of Defense civil affairs officers, representatives of 
United States agencies and allied personnel do not 
have the authority needed to intervene to stop such 
violations. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) the protection of the rights of women, the 
reestablishment of democracy, and the elimination of 
terrorism are essential to the reconstruction of a sta-
ble Afghanistan and to achieve such a reconstruction 
the international community should commit substan-
tial resources, including the expansion of inter-
national peacekeeping forces inside and outside of 
the city of Kabul; 
(2) the United States should provide strong 
support for the Afghan Ministry of Women’s Affairs 
and the Afghan Independent Human Rights Com-
mission, both of which were created by the Bonn 
Agreement to remedy past violations of women’s 
rights and human rights and to establish institutions 
and programs to advance such rights; 
(3) the mandate of international peacekeeping 
forces and Provincial Reconstruction Teams com-
posed of United States military forces, Department 
of Defense civil affairs officers, representatives of 
United States agencies and allied personnel should 
be authorized to intervene to stop violations of 
human rights and women’s rights; 
(4) United States foreign policy should ensure 
that the rights of women and girls are restored in 
Afghanistan, assist in the recovery of women and 
girls from the repression of the Taliban and 23 
years of war, and strengthen Afghan institutions 
that are led by women; and 
(5) grants and assistance provided to Afghani-
stan should be conditioned upon the Government of 
Afghanistan adhering to international standards for 
women’s rights and human rights. 
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION FOR ASSISTANCE. 
(a) AUTHORITY.—The President is authorized to pro-
vide assistance for women and children in Afghanistan. 
(b) PROVISION OF ASSISTANCE.—Assistance under 
this section may be provided directly to the Afghan Min-
istry of Women’s Affairs, other Afghan Government min-
istries, the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commis-
sion, local and international nonprofit organizations, and 
United Nations agencies.
(c) CATEGORIES OF ASSISTANCE.—The assistance 
under this section may be provided as grants, technical 
assistance, training, or in any other form that the Presi-
dent determines is appropriate. 
(d) PURPOSES.—Assistance under this section may 
be used for the following purposes: 
(1) POLITICAL
AND
HUMAN
RIGHTS.—Assist-
ance under this section is authorized to be used to 
promote women’s rights and human rights in Af-
ghanistan, including women’s political participation 
and legal rights, including for the following pur-
poses: 
(A) To provide assistance to the Afghan 
Ministry of Women’s Affairs, other ministries of 
the Government of Afghanistan, and the Af-
ghan Independent Human Rights Commission 
for programs to advance the status of women. 
(B) To disseminate information through-
out Afghanistan on the rights of women and on 
international standards for human rights. 
(C) To provide information and assistance 
to enable women to exercise property, inherit-
ance, and voting rights, and to participate in 
relief programs.
(D) To provide, monitor, and investigate 
violations of women’s rights and to provide 
legal assistance to women who have suffered 
violations of their rights. 
(E) To provide training related to women’s 
rights and human rights to military, police, and 
legal personnel. 
(F) To build the infrastructure of the Af-
ghan Independent Human Rights Commission 
through the construction of provincial and dis-
trict offices. 
(G) To enforce the provisions of the Af-
ghan constitution that ensure equal rights for 
women. 
(H) To operate programs to encourage and 
facilitate the registration of women voters. 
(2) HEALTH CARE.—Assistance under this sec-
tion is authorized to be used to provide health care 
for the people of Afghanistan, including for the fol-
lowing purposes: 
(A) To provide equipment, medical sup-
plies, and other assistance to health care facili-
ties for the purpose of reducing maternal and 
infant mortality and morbidity.
(B) To train nurses, midwives, and tradi-
tional birth attendants for the purposes of im-
proving staffing at clinics and hospitals, and ex-
panding networks of community health edu-
cators. 
(C) To promote awareness about the 
health and nutrition of women, and programs 
related to hygiene, sanitation, and immuniza-
tion. 
(D) To develop, establish, and expand pro-
grams to provide services to women and girls 
suffering from post-traumatic stress, depres-
sion, and mental illness. 
(E) To provide mobile health units that in-
clude reproductive health programs and that 
are accessible to women and girls who have 
been disabled due to landmines or war-related 
injuries, including such women and girls who 
are in wheelchairs. 
(3) EDUCATION
AND
TRAINING.—Assistance 
under this section is authorized to be used to provide 
education and training to the people of Afghanistan, 
including for the following purposes: 
(A) To establish, maintain, and expand 
primary and secondary schools for girls that in-
clude mathematics, science, and languages in 
their primary curriculum. 
(B) To develop and expand technical and 
vocational training programs for women to en-
able women who participate in such programs 
to provide support for themselves and their 
families. 
(C) To develop, maintain, and expand lit-
eracy programs, including economic literacy 
programs that promote the well-being of women 
and their families. 
(D) To provide special educational oppor-
tunities for girls whose schooling was ended by 
the Taliban and who now face obstacles to par-
ticipating in the normal education system, such 
as girls who are now married and girls who are 
older than the normal age for their classes. 
(4) SECURITY, PROTECTION, AND SHELTER.— 
Assistance under this section is authorized to be 
used to provide security, protection, and shelter for 
the people of Afghanistan, including for the fol-
lowing purposes: 
(A) To develop and implement programs to 
protect women and girls against sexual and 
physical abuse, abduction, trafficking, exploi-
tation, and sex discrimination in the delivery of 
humanitarian supplies and services. 
(B) To direct humanitarian assistance to 
the large population of widows and their chil-
dren who are in need in war-torn Afghanistan. 
(C) To provide emergency shelters, food, 
sanitation, health care, and other relief services 
to internally displaced women and their fami-
lies. 
(D) To support the return of refugees and 
internally displaced persons, the majority of 
whom are women and children, to their home 
areas. 
(E) To provide security measures, such as 
building improvements and staffing, for the 
purpose of preventing violent attacks to schools 
that educate girls and to repair or replace 
equipment and facilities of a school that is sub-
ject to such an attack. 
(F) To improve security for women in the 
Loya Jirga and for women who exercise their 
right to register to vote and to participate in 
elections. 
(G) To provide security for women’s cen-
ters for the purpose of enabling women to par-
ticipate in meetings, discussions, and programs 
regarding the constitution, elections, and wom-
en’s rights. 
SEC. 5. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE PROVISIONS OF AS-
SISTANCE. 
It is the sense of Congress that, in providing assist-
ance under this Act, the President should— 
(1) condition the provision such assistance on 
the recipient adhering to international standards for 
women’s rights and human rights; 
(2) place a high priority on the provision of 
such assistance to the Afghan Ministry of Women’s 
Affairs, the Afghan Independent Human Rights 
Commission, and other agencies of the Government 
of Afghanistan that are able to implement programs 
to improve the lives and advance the rights of 
women; 
(3) place a high priority on the provision of 
such assistance that will be used to provide to train-
ing and capacity-building programs in Afghanistan; 
(4) ensure that such assistance is distributed 
throughout different regions of Afghanistan on the 
basis of need; 
(5) place a high priority on the provision of 
such assistance to non-governmental organizations
in Afghanistan that have demonstrated experience in 
delivering services to Afghan women and children 
and that are— 
(A) led by women; or 
(B) located in Afghanistan; and 
(6) ensure that of the assistance made available 
under this Act in each fiscal year not less than 25 
percent of such assistance is provided to non-govern-
mental organizations that are— 
(A) led by women; and 
(B) located in Afghanistan. 
SEC. 6. REPORTING REQUIREMENT. 
(a) REQUIREMENT FOR REPORT.—Not less than once 
every 6 months, the Secretary of State and the Adminis-
trator of the United States Agency for International De-
velopment shall submit a report to the appropriate con-
gressional committees on the activities carried out under 
this Act. Such report shall include the amount of assist-
ance provided under this Act to— 
(1) the Afghan Ministry of Women’s Affairs; 
(2) other ministries of the Government of Af-
ghanistan; 
(3) the Afghan Independent Human Rights 
Commission; 
(4) Afghan nonprofit organizations;
(5) international nonprofit organizations; and 
(6) United Nations agencies. 
(b) INITIAL REPORT.—The initial report required 
under subsection (a) shall be submitted not later than 60 
days after the date of enactment of this Act. 
(c) TERMINATION
OF REQUIREMENT.—Subsection 
(a) shall be effective during the 3 year period beginning 
on the date of enactment of this Act. 
(d) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.— 
In this section the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means the Committee on Appropriations and the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the 
Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on 
International Relations of the House of Representatives. 
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION.—There is authorized to be ap-
propriated to the President $300,000,000 for each of the 
fiscal years 2005, 2006, and 2007 to carry out the provi-
sions of this Act, of which— 
(1) $20,000,000 is authorized to be available to 
the Afghan Ministry of Women’s Affairs for each 
such fiscal year; and 
(2) $10,000,000 is authorized to be available to 
the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission 
for each such fiscal year.
(b) AVAILABILITY
OF
FUNDS.—Amounts appro-
priated pursuant to paragraph (1) are authorized to re-
main available until expended. 
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