(10) Given the important role of women in the 
economies of poor nations, poverty alleviation pro-
grams funded by the Government of the United 
States in poor countries should seek to enhance the 
level of economic opportunity available to women in 
those countries. 
(b) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It is, therefore, the 
policy of the United States to actively promote develop-
ment interventions that enhance economic opportunities 
for women, including programs and policies to— 
(1) promote women’s ability to start micro, 
small, or medium-sized business enterprises, and en-
able women to grow such enterprises, particularly 
from micro to small enterprises and from small to 
medium-sized enterprises, or sustain current busi-
ness capacity; 
(2) promote the rights of women to own, man-
age, and inherit property, including land, encourage 
adoption of laws and policies that support the rights 
of women to enforce these claims in administrative 
and judicial tribunals, and address conflicts with 
customary laws and practices to increase the secu-
rity of women’s tenure; 
(3) increase women’s access to employment, en-
able women to access higher quality jobs with better 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:02 Jul 13, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2965.IH
H2965
ccoleman on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
remuneration and working conditions in both infor-
mal and formal employment, and improve the qual-
ity of jobs in sectors dominated by women by im-
proving the remuneration and working conditions of 
those jobs; and 
(4) bring the benefits of international trade pol-
icy to women in developing countries and ensure 
that trade policies and agreements adequately reflect 
the respective needs of poor women and men. 
SEC. 3. MICROENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE 
FOR WOMEN IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION; IMPLEMENTATION; TARGETED 
ASSISTANCE.— 
(1) AUTHORIZATION.—Section 252(a) of the 
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 
2211a(a)) is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end 
before the semicolon the following: ‘‘, including 
specific activities to enhance the empowerment 
of women, such as leadership training, basic 
health and HIV/AIDS education, and literacy 
skills’’; 
(B) in paragraph (3)— 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:02 Jul 13, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2965.IH
H2965
ccoleman on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
(i) by adding at the end before the 
semicolon 
the 
following: 
‘‘, 
including 
women’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(C) in paragraph (4)— 
(i) by adding at the end before the pe-
riod the following: ‘‘, including initiatives 
to eliminate legal and institutional barriers 
to women’s ownership of assets, access to 
credit, access to information and commu-
nication technologies, and engagement in 
business activities within or outside of the 
home’’; and 
(ii) by striking the period at the end 
and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(D) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(5) microfinance and microenterprise develop-
ment programs that— 
‘‘(A) specifically target women with respect 
to outreach and marketing; and 
‘‘(B) provide products specifically to ad-
dress women’s assets, needs, and the barriers 
women encounter with respect to participation 
in enterprise and financial services.’’. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:02 Jul 13, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2965.IH
H2965
ccoleman on PROD1PC69 with BILLS