I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 57 
To require that activities carried out by the United States in South Sudan 
relating to governance, reconstruction and development, and refugee relief 
and assistance will support the basic human rights of women and wom-
en’s participation and leadership in these areas. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 6, 2015 
Ms. JACKSON LEE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To require that activities carried out by the United States 
in South Sudan relating to governance, reconstruction 
and development, and refugee relief and assistance will 
support the basic human rights of women and women’s 
participation and leadership in these areas. 
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 ‘‘Equal Rights and Ac-
cess for the Women of South Sudan Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
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(1) Despite the 2011 referendum for secession 
that established the independent state of South 
Sudan, South Sudanese women continue to experi-
ence brutal violation of their human rights. 
(2) Strong and continued United States support 
can ensure that the advances made by South Suda-
nese women since July 2011 when the Republic of 
South Sudan gained its independence will continue 
and grow, rather than recede. 
(3) The United States has made a substantial 
contribution to the emergency relief and humani-
tarian efforts for South Sudan. Completing the 
United States mission in South Sudan will also re-
quire significant and long-term investments in devel-
opment and reconstruction assistance. 
(4) An inadequate healthcare system has re-
sulted in high maternal and infant mortality rates. 
The maternal mortality rate is 1,054 deaths per 
100,000 live births, making it one of the highest in 
the world. 
(5) South Sudan faces many difficulties with its 
lack of infrastructure and lacks significant human 
development factors, which can further marginalize 
women. 
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(6) Over 80 percent of women and girls in 
South Sudan are illiterate, and thus it is imperative 
to both secure and inform women’s rights within the 
national development. 
(7) With the assistance of internal aid and the 
proliferation of local women’s organizations, wom-
en’s equality can be integrated into South Sudan’s 
nation-building efforts. 
(8) South Sudan has made gains in incor-
porating women into the new regime with efforts 
such as inclusion in the legislative assembly, thus 
additional support from the United States serves to 
reinforce these ideals and implementations. 
(9) The women of South Sudan are taking the 
initiative to reach across the conflict divide and fos-
ter peace. Women’s perspectives and experiences in 
seeking solutions to conflicts are necessary to ensure 
lasting peace. 
(10) Adequate security in both urban and rural 
areas, particularly on military borders, is essential if 
women and girls are to exercise their human rights, 
work, attend school, and otherwise participate in and 
benefit from humanitarian and development pro-
grams sponsored by the United States. 
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SEC. 3. REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO UNITED STATES AC-
TIVITIES RELATING TO SOUTH SUDAN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Activities described in subsections 
(b) through (e) that are carried out by the United States 
in South Sudan shall comply with the applicable require-
ments contained in such subsections. 
(b) GOVERNANCE OF SOUTH SUDAN.—With respect 
to the governance of South Sudan, the applicable require-
ments are the following: 
(1) Include the perspectives and advice from 
South Sudanese women’s organizations, networks, 
and leaders in United States policymaking related to 
the governance of South Sudan. 
(2) Promote the inclusion of a significant num-
ber of women in the National Legislature and future 
legislative bodies to ensure that women’s full range 
of human rights are included and upheld in any con-
stitution or legal structures of South Sudan. 
(3) Promote the continuation and strengthening 
of the rights of women as the South Sudan Govern-
ment transitions to a long-term government struc-
ture, and encourage the appointment of women to 
high level positions within South Sudanese Govern-
ment. 
(c) POST-CONFLICT RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVEL-
OPMENT.—With respect to activities relating to post-con-
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flict stability in South Sudan, the applicable requirements 
are the following: 
(1) Ensure that a significant portion of United 
States development, humanitarian, and relief assist-
ance is channeled to local and United States-based 
South Sudanese organizations, particularly South 
Sudanese women’s organizations. Provide technical 
assistance, training, and capacity-building for local 
organizations to ensure that United States funded 
efforts will be both effective and sustainable. 
(2) Encourage United States organizations that 
receive funds authorized by this Act to partner with 
or create South Sudanese-led counterpart organiza-
tions and provide these organizations with signifi-
cant financial resources, technical assistance, and 
capacity building. 
(3) Provide direct financial and programmatic 
assistance to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs ade-
quate to ensure that the Ministry is able to fulfill its 
mandate. 
(4) Promote multiyear women-centered eco-
nomic development programs, including programs to 
assist widows, female heads of household, women in 
rural areas, and disabled women. 
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(5) Increase women’s access to or ownership of 
productive assets such as land, water, agricultural 
inputs, credit, and property. 
(6) Provide long-term financial assistance for 
primary, secondary, higher, nontraditional, and voca-
tional education for South Sudanese girls, women, 
boys, and men. 
(7) Provide financial assistance to build the 
health infrastructure and to deliver high-quality 
comprehensive health care programs, including pri-
mary, maternal, child, reproductive, and mental 
health care. 
(8) 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. 
(9) Provide assistance to rehabilitate children 
affected by the conflict, particularly child soldiers. 
(10) Support educational efforts to increase 
awareness with respect to landmines, facilitate the 
removal of landmines, and provide services to indi-
viduals with disabilities caused by landmines. 
(11) Include programs to prevent trafficking in 
persons, assist victims, and apprehend and prosecute 
traffickers in persons. 
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(d) SOUTH SUDANESE MILITARY
AND POLICE.— 
With respect to training for military and police forces in 
South Sudan, the applicable requirements are the fol-
lowing: 
(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 South Sudan to ensure that 
training content and materials are adequate, appro-
priate, and comprehensive. 
(e) RELIEF, RESETTLEMENT, AND REPATRIATION OF 
REFUGEES AND THE INTERNALLY DISPLACED.—With re-
spect to the relief, resettlement, and repatriation of refu-
gees and internally displaced in South Sudan, the applica-
ble requirements are the following: 
(1) Take all necessary steps to ensure that 
women refugees and internally displaced in camps, 
urban areas, and villages are directly receiving food 
aid, shelter, relief supplies, and other services from 
United States-sponsored programs. 
(2) Take all necessary steps to ensure that 
women refugees in camps, urban areas, and villages 
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are accessing high-quality health and medical serv-
ices, including primary, maternal, child, and mental 
health services. 
(3) Take all necessary steps to ensure that 
women and children in refugee camps are protected 
from sexual exploitation. 
(4) Take all necessary steps to ensure refugees 
and internally displaced persons that seek to return 
to their place of origin can do so voluntarily, safely, 
and with the full protection of their rights. United 
States-sponsored efforts shall not coerce refugees or 
internally displaced persons to return to their places 
of origin. 
SEC. 4. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. 
Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, and annually thereafter, the President shall 
prepare and transmit to Congress a report that contains 
documentation of the progress in implementing the re-
quirements of section 3. All data shall be disaggregated 
by sex. 
Æ 
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