Title: International Violence Against Women Act of 2017
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
International Violence Against Women Act of 2017
This bill establishes in the Department of State an Office of Global Women's Issues which shall be headed by an Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues.
The Ambassador-at-Large shall: (1) coordinate U.S. government efforts regarding gender equality and the advancement of women and girls in foreign policy, and (2) develop or update periodically a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls.
The bill establishes in the U.S. Agency for International Development the position of Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment who shall direct policies, programs, and funding regarding gender equality and women's empowerment.
The Ambassador-at-Large and the Senior Coordinator shall: (1) identify at least four low-income and lower-middle income countries that have significant levels of violence against women and girls, and (2) develop comprehensive individual country plans to respond to such violence.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2120 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2120

    To prevent international violence against women, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 14, 2017

Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Isakson, and Mr. Menendez) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                     Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To prevent international violence against women, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title; Table of Contents.--This Act may be cited as the 
``International Violence Against Women Act of 2017''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Statement of policy.
TITLE I--UNITED STATES STRATEGY TO PREVENT AND RESPOND TO GENDER-BASED 
                           VIOLENCE GLOBALLY

Sec. 101. Global strategy requirement.
Sec. 102. Country plans.
Sec. 103. Report on priority country selection and country plans.
Sec. 104. Rule of construction.
                 TITLE II--OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Sec. 201. Definitions.
Sec. 202. Office of Global Women's Issues.
Sec. 203. Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's 
                            Empowerment.
Sec. 204. Briefing.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) An estimated one out of every three women throughout 
        the world will be beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused 
        in her lifetime.
            (2) Up to 70 percent of women in some countries report 
        experiencing gender-based violence at some point in their 
        lives.
            (3) Intimate partner violence is the most prevalent form of 
        violence against women, preventing them from playing more 
        active roles in the social, economic, and political development 
        of their communities.
            (4) Sexual violence among adolescents and pre-adolescents 
        is alarmingly high. National surveys in Swaziland, Tanzania, 
        Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Haiti have found that between 28 and 38 
        percent of girls and between 9 and 18 percent of boys report 
        experiencing sexual violence before reaching 18 years of age.
            (5) Adult male respondents in 6 countries who had 
        experienced violence as children were significantly more likely 
        to report perpetrating intimate partner violence themselves 
        according to the International Men and Gender Equality Survey 
        dataset.
            (6) Gender-based violence harms economies and the workers 
        that fuel them. Despite underreporting, striking statistics 
        document prevalent forms of gender-based violence globally that 
        affect the world of work. Worldwide, women are concentrated in 
        low-wage, insecure jobs in workplaces where they lack 
        bargaining power, protections against gender-based violence, 
        safe and confidential reporting systems, recourse to justice, 
        or access to legal, medical, and psychosocial services.
            (7) Women living in poverty are particularly vulnerable to 
        gender-based violence. Lack of economic opportunities often 
        compels women to use desperate and dangerous means to provide 
        for themselves and their families, risking significant exposure 
        to sexual exploitation and abuse for both women and their 
        children.
            (8) Country studies indicate that the risk of HIV among 
        women who have experienced violence may be up to three times 
        higher than among those who have not experience violence. The 
        World Health Organization found that women who experience 
        intimate partner violence are at more than 50 percent greater 
        risk of HIV infection, and in some instances their risk of HIV 
        infection increases four-fold. Women living with HIV are more 
        likely to experience violence than other women, and fear of 
        violence can prevent women from accessing HIV/AIDS information 
        and receiving treatment and counseling.
            (9) Addressing gender inequality and gender-based violence 
        is essential to reducing HIV risk and increasing access to HIV 
        prevention, care and treatment services for women and men. The 
        President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) supports 
        significant work in the field to incorporate efforts to prevent 
        and respond to gender-based violence into existing HIV 
        treatment and prevention programs.
            (10) Prevalence of sexual and physical violence is higher 
        among persons with disabilities, particularly for adolescents 
        and intimate partners with disabilities, and for men and women 
        with intellectual impairments living in institutions. The World 
        Health Organization reports that rates of gender-based violence 
        are between 4 and 10 times greater among persons with 
        disabilities compared to non-disabled persons.
            (11) Displaced, refugee, and stateless women and girls in 
        humanitarian emergencies, conflict settings, and natural 
        disasters face extreme violence and threats, including--
                    (A) being forced to exchange sex for food and 
                humanitarian supplies; and
                    (B) being at increased risk of rape, sexual 
                exploitation, and abuse.
            (12) Rape and sexual assault against women and girls are 
        used to torture, intimidate, and terrorize communities. Rape 
        and sexual assault are used as tools of war in conflict zones, 
        including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Syria, 
        Afghanistan, Colombia, and South Sudan.
            (13) Child and forced marriage of girls--
                    (A) is a harmful practice that deprives girls of 
                their dignity and rights and creates barriers to 
                development for communities and countries;
                    (B) is projected to affect more than 140,000,000 
                girls who will become brides between 2011 and 2020;
                    (C) can prematurely end girls' education, increase 
                vulnerability to gender-based violence, and 
                significantly raise the risk of maternal and infant 
                morbidity or mortality, including the risk of obstetric 
                fistula and sexually transmitted diseases, including 
                HIV/AIDS; and
                    (D) is perpetuated by poverty, a lack of 
                educational or employment opportunities for girls, a 
                lack of legal policies and enforcement of laws, and 
                religious, cultural, and social factors related to 
                girls' perceived lack of value, factors which become 
                particularly acute in conflict and disaster settings 
                where fears of sexual violence and overstretched coping 
                mechanisms often drive child and forced marriage.
            (14) Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is carried 
        out most often on girls between infancy and 15 years of age and 
        has impacted more than 125,000,000 girls and women who are 
        alive today. FGM/C can cause long-term health problems, 
        including infertility, complications in childbirth, and 
        increased risk of newborn deaths.
            (15) World Bank data shows that gender inequality directly 
        corresponds to increased levels of political and economic 
        instability within states. Gender-based violence impedes 
        women's meaningful participation in social, political, and 
        economic spheres, which is essential to the stability and 
        democratization of a country. Since women disproportionately 
        experience gender-based violence during conflict and post-
        conflict reconstruction, they can play a pivotal role in 
        preventing, mitigating, and resolving conflict, and countering 
        extremism.
            (16) Gender-based violence is a contributing factor to 
        human trafficking. Experts in the field have reported that 
        women and girls who have experienced gender-based violence and 
        live in societies that tolerate severe gender discrimination 
        appear to be more vulnerable to being trafficked. Comprehensive 
        efforts to reduce human trafficking must include efforts to 
        prevent and respond to gender-based violence due to the 
        intertwined relationship of the two crimes.
            (17) Faith-based organizations and faith leaders are key 
        partners in the ongoing efforts to prevent and respond to 
        gender-based violence. When properly engaged and equipped with 
        knowledge and resources, such organizations and leaders can 
        play a significant part in changing behaviors and norms and 
        reducing gender-based violence. Particularly in countries that 
        lack effective legal frameworks to address gender-based 
        violence, such faith-based organizations and faith leaders have 
        the standing and authority to address harmful practices, such 
        as child marriage, intimate partner abuses, and acid throwing.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    It is the policy of the United States--
            (1) to take effective action to prevent and respond to 
        violence against women and girls around the world as a matter 
        of basic human rights and to promote gender equality, economic 
        growth, and improved public health;
            (2) to systematically integrate and coordinate efforts to 
        prevent and respond to violence against women and girls 
        internationally into United States foreign policy and foreign 
        assistance programs, including peace-building efforts and 
        humanitarian relief and recovery;
            (3) to support and build local capacity in developing 
        countries, including the capacity of governments at all levels, 
        nongovernmental organizations, especially women-led 
        organizations, to prevent and respond to violence against women 
        and girls;
            (4) to consult, cooperate, coordinate, and collaborate with 
        a wide variety of nongovernmental partners with demonstrated 
        experience in preventing and responding to violence against 
        women and girls, including faith-based organizations and women-
        led organizations;
            (5) to employ a multisectoral approach to preventing and 
        responding to violence against women and girls internationally, 
        including activities in the economic, education, health, 
        nutrition, legal, and judicial sectors;
            (6) to work at all levels, from the individual to the 
        family, community, local, national, and international levels, 
        to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls 
        around the world;
            (7) to enhance training by United States personnel of 
        professional foreign military and police forces and judicial 
        officials, including specific and thorough instruction on 
        preventing and responding to violence against women and girls 
        around the world;
            (8) to engage men and boys as partners, as an essential 
        element of making sustained reductions in violence against 
        women and girls;
            (9) to include the prevention of child and forced marriage 
        as an important part of United States Government efforts to 
        prevent violence against girls and promote gender equality and 
        global health;
            (10) to require that all United States contractors and 
        grantees establish appropriate policies and take effective 
        measures to prevent violence against women and girls and sexual 
        exploitation and abuse within their workforce;
            (11) to exert sustained international leadership to prevent 
        and respond to violence against women and girls, including in 
        bilateral and multilateral fora; and
            (12) to implement a strategy to prevent and respond to 
        gender-based violence globally.

TITLE I--UNITED STATES STRATEGY TO PREVENT AND RESPOND TO GENDER-BASED 
                           VIOLENCE GLOBALLY

SEC. 101. GLOBAL STRATEGY REQUIREMENT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and every 4 years thereafter, the Ambassador-at-
Large for Global Women's Issues at the Department of State appointed 
pursuant to section 201 (referred to in this title as the ``Ambassador-
at-Large''), in consultation with the Senior Coordinator for Gender 
Equality and Women's Empowerment at the United States Agency for 
International Development appointed pursuant to section 202 (referred 
to in this title as the ``Senior Coordinator''), shall--
            (1) develop or update, in consultation with civil society, 
        including service providers, a United States global strategy to 
        prevent and respond to violence against women and girls, using 
        evidence-based interventions and standards that address the 
        root causes of, and provide comprehensive responses to, 
        violence against women and girls;
            (2) submit the strategy under paragraph (1) to the 
        appropriate congressional committees for comment and review; 
        and
            (3) make the strategy publicly available on the Internet.
    (b) Initial Strategy.--For the purposes of this section, an 
existing United States strategy to prevent and respond to violence 
against women and girls may be deemed to fulfill the initial 
requirement under subsection (a).
    (c) Collaboration and Coordination.--In developing the strategy 
under subsection (a), the Ambassador-at-Large and the Senior 
Coordinator shall consult with--
            (1) the heads of relevant Federal agencies;
            (2) the Senior Policy Operating Group on Trafficking in 
        Persons; and
            (3) representatives of civil society, including 
        nongovernmental organizations, faith-based organizations, 
        multilateral organizations, local and international civil 
        society groups, and local service providers and beneficiaries 
        with demonstrated experience in addressing violence against 
        women and girls or promoting gender equality internationally.
    (d) Use of Funds.--Amounts appropriated or otherwise made available 
to carry out the activities under this section shall be subject to all 
applicable restrictions under Federal law.

SEC. 102. COUNTRY PLANS.

    (a) Priority Country Selection.--To further the objectives of the 
strategy developed under section 101, the Ambassador-at-Large and the 
Senior Coordinator shall identify not fewer than 4 eligible low-income 
and lower-middle income countries that--
            (1) have significant levels of violence against women and 
        girls, including violence within displaced communities;
            (2) have the governmental or nongovernmental organizational 
        capacity to manage and implement gender-based violence 
        prevention and response program activities; and
            (3) to the extent possible, are geographically, ethnically, 
        and culturally diverse from each other.
    (b) Country Plans.--In each country identified pursuant to 
subsection (a) the Ambassador-at-Large and the Senior Coordinator shall 
develop comprehensive, multisectoral, and holistic individual country 
plans designed to address and respond to violence against women and 
girls that--
            (1) assess and describe the current and potential capacity 
        of the government of each identified country and civil society 
        organizations in each such identified country to address and 
        respond to violence against women and girls;
            (2) identify coordination mechanisms with Federal agencies 
        that--
                    (A) have existing programs relevant to the 
                strategy;
                    (B) will be involved in new program activities; and
                    (C) are engaged in broader United States strategies 
                around development;
            (3) describe the monitoring and evaluation mechanisms 
        established for each identified country, and their intended use 
        in assessing overall prevention and response outcomes;
            (4) project the general levels of resources needed to 
        achieve the stated objectives in each identified country, 
        including an accounting of--
                    (A) activities and funding already expended by the 
                Department of State, the United States Agency for 
                International Development, other Federal agencies, 
                donor country governments, and multilateral 
                institutions; and
                    (B) leveraged private sector resources; and
            (5) include strategies, as appropriate, designed to 
        accommodate the needs of stateless, disabled, internally 
        displaced, refugee, or religious or ethnic minority women and 
        girls.

SEC. 103. REPORT ON PRIORITY COUNTRY SELECTION AND COUNTRY PLANS.

    Not later than 90 days after priority countries are identified 
pursuant to section 102, and annually thereafter, the Ambassador-at-
Large and the Senior Coordinator shall submit a report to the 
appropriate congressional committees that--
            (1) details the priority country selection process and the 
        development of specific country plans; and
            (2) includes an overview of--
                    (A) all programming and specific activities being 
                undertaken;
                    (B) the budget resources requested by each 
                executive agency; and
                    (C) the specific activities to be supported by each 
                executive agency under the strategy if such resources 
                are provided.

SEC. 104. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

    Nothing in this title may be construed to authorize any additional 
appropriations to carry out the purposes or initiatives required under 
this title.

                 TITLE II--OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

SEC. 201. DEFINITIONS.

    In this title:
            (1) Agency.--The term ``Agency'' means the United States 
        Agency for International Development.
            (2) Ambassador.--The term ``Ambassador'' means the 
        Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues appointed by the 
        President pursuant to section 202(a).
            (3) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
                Senate;
                    (B) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
                    (C) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
                of Representatives; and
                    (D) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (4) Gender analysis.--The term ``gender analysis'' means 
        the examination of the differential impact of policies on 
        different genders.
            (5) Office.--The term ``Office'' means the Office of Global 
        Women's Issues established by the Secretary of State pursuant 
        to section 202(a).
            (6) Senior coordinator.--The term ``Senior Coordinator'' 
        means the Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's 
        Empowerment at the Agency.

SEC. 202. OFFICE OF GLOBAL WOMEN'S ISSUES.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of State shall establish in the 
Office of the Secretary of the Department of State the Office of Global 
Women's Issues. The Office shall be headed by an Ambassador-at-Large 
for Global Women's Issues, who shall be appointed by the President, by 
and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Ambassador shall 
report directly to the Secretary and shall have the rank and status of 
Ambassador-at-Large.
    (b) Purpose.--In addition to the duties described in subsection (c) 
and duties determined by the Secretary of State, the Ambassador shall 
coordinate efforts of the United States Government as directed by the 
Secretary regarding approaches that promote equality and advance the 
status of women and girls in United States foreign policy.
    (c) Duties.--
            (1) In general.--The Ambassador--
                    (A) in consultation with the Senior Coordinator, 
                shall direct activities, policies, programs, and 
                funding relating to gender equality and the advancement 
                of women and girls internationally, including those 
                intended to prevent and respond to violence against 
                women and girls, for all bureaus and offices of the 
                Department of State and in the international programs 
                of all other Federal agencies;
                    (B) shall actively promote and advance the 
                integration of gender analysis into the programs, 
                structures, processes, and capacities of bureaus and 
                offices of the Department of State and in the 
                international programs of other Federal agencies;
                    (C) shall direct United States Government 
                resources, as appropriate, to respond to needs for 
                promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women 
                in United States Government foreign policies and 
                international programs, including to prevent and 
                respond to violence against women and girls 
                internationally;
                    (D) may design, support, and implement activities 
                regarding empowerment of women internationally, 
                including for the prevention of and response to 
                violence against women and girls internationally;
                    (E) shall conduct regular consultation with civil 
                society organizations working to prevent and respond to 
                violence against women and girls internationally;
                    (F) shall ensure that programs, projects, and 
                activities designed to prevent and respond to violence 
                against women and girls internationally are subject to 
                rigorous monitoring and evaluation, and that there is a 
                uniform set of indicators and standards for such 
                monitoring and evaluation that is used across all 
                Federal agencies;
                    (G) shall serve as the principal advisor to the 
                Secretary of State regarding gender equality, women's 
                empowerment, and violence against women and girls as a 
                foreign policy matter; and
                    (H) is authorized to represent the United States in 
                diplomatic and multilateral fora on matters relevant to 
                the status of women and girls, including violence 
                against women and girls internationally.
            (2) Information sharing and transparency.--The Office--
                    (A) shall be the central repository of data on all 
                United States programs, projects, and activities that 
                relate to prevention and response to violence against 
                women and girls; and
                    (B) shall produce a full accounting of United 
                States Government spending on such programs, projects, 
                and activities.

SEC. 203. SENIOR COORDINATOR FOR GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN'S 
              EMPOWERMENT.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the Agency the position 
of Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment. The 
Senior Coordinator shall--
            (1) report to the Administrator of the Agency; and
            (2) conduct the activities of the Administrator under this 
        Act.
    (b) In General.--The Senior Coordinator--
            (1) in consultation with the Ambassador, shall direct 
        activities, policies, programs, and funding of the Agency 
        relating to gender equality and women's empowerment, including 
        those intended to prevent and respond to violence against women 
        and girls;
            (2) shall actively promote and advance the integration of 
        gender analysis into the programs, structures, processes, and 
        capacities of all bureaus and offices of the Agency as dictated 
        by the Agency's Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy;
            (3) shall direct Agency resources for gender equality and 
        women's empowerment, including to prevent and respond to 
        violence against women and girls internationally;
            (4) may design, support, and implement activities led by 
        the Agency regarding gender equality and women's empowerment, 
        including for the prevention and response to violence against 
        women and girls internationally;
            (5) shall conduct regular consultation with civil society 
        organizations working to prevent and respond to violence 
        against women and girls internationally;
            (6) shall serve as the principal advisor to the 
        Administrator regarding gender equality, women's empowerment, 
        and violence against women and girls; and
            (7) shall track and analyze monitoring and evaluation data 
        and findings on international prevention and response programs 
        of the Agency, consistent with Agency-wide monitoring and 
        evaluation activities, to assist in the preparation of the 
        comprehensive strategy developed under section 101(a).

SEC. 204. BRIEFING.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, and annually thereafter, the Ambassador and the Senior Coordinator 
shall provide, to the appropriate congressional committees--
            (1) a briefing on international violence against women and 
        girls prevention and response strategies, programming, and 
        associated outcomes; and
            (2) an assessment of human and financial resources 
        necessary to fulfill the purposes and duties under this Act.
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