Title: Women and Countering Violent Extremism Act of 2019
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Women and Countering Violent Extremism Act of 2019
This bill (1) authorizes assistance to women's groups in foreign countries that work on terrorism-related issues, and (2) amends various reporting and training provisions to incorporate issues related to gender and terrorism.
The President may provide assistance to non-U.S.-based, women-led organizations countering violent extremism and terrorism in foreign countries.
The President's periodic Women, Peace, and Security Strategy shall include a section on (1) women's contributions to countering violent extremism, (2) preventing women's involvement in violent extremism, and (3) the gender dimensions of disarming and reintegrating former extremists.
Training for certain personnel of the Department of State and the Department of Defense (DOD) shall include training on preventing violent extremism. The State Department shall seek to double the number of women receiving training under its Anti-Terrorism Assistance programs within three years of this bill's enactment.
The State Department, DOD, and the U.S. Agency for International Development shall conduct research on gender and countering violent extremism, including best practices to support women preventing violent extremism, and utilize the results of such research in their programs. The State Department's annual country reports on terrorism to Congress shall include, for at least five countries, a gender analysis of the conflict drivers, power dynamics, and impacts that are relevant to violent extremism.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1653 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1653

To ensure that the United States recognizes women's varied roles in all 
     aspects of violent extremism and terrorism and promotes their 
meaningful participation as full partners in all efforts to prevent and 
    counter violent extremism and terrorism, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 8, 2019

Ms. Frankel (for herself, Mr. Chabot, Mr. Keating, Mr. Wilson of South 
   Carolina, Ms. Spanberger, Mr. Zeldin, Ms. Meng, Ms. Houlahan, Mr. 
 Cohen, and Mr. Fitzpatrick) introduced the following bill; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the 
Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined 
 by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as 
        fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To ensure that the United States recognizes women's varied roles in all 
     aspects of violent extremism and terrorism and promotes their 
meaningful participation as full partners in all efforts to prevent and 
    counter violent extremism and terrorism, 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.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Women and Countering Violent 
Extremism Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Women play diverse roles in violent extremist 
        organizations, including as victims, perpetrators, and 
        preventers.
            (2) Extremist groups benefit strategically and financially 
        from the subjugation of women. Terrorist groups violate the 
        rights of women and girls, from sexual enslavement and forced 
        marriages to limiting their access to education and public 
        life. Violent extremist groups have used women and girls as 
        rewards for new recruits and as part of their recruitment 
        efforts. According to the 2016 U.S. State Department's Country 
        Reports on Terrorism, ``In 2015 and 2016, ISIS abducted, 
        systematically raped, and abused thousands of women and 
        children [in Iraq and Syria], some as young as eight years of 
        age. Women and children were sold and enslaved, distributed to 
        ISIS fighters as spoils of war, forced into marriage and 
        domestic servitude, or subjected to physical and sexual 
        abuse.''. In northern Nigeria, Boko Haram has kidnapped and 
        subjected thousands of women and girls to physical abuse, 
        forced labor, forced marriage and sexual abuse.
            (3) As perpetrators of violent extremism and terrorism, 
        women adopt all roles, including as informants, facilitators, 
        recruiters, and suicide bombers. Empowering women may diminish 
        their support for violent extremist organizations by increasing 
        their sense of agency.
            (4) Seeing women as partners empowers them to detect early 
        signs of radicalization, intervening before individuals become 
        violent and delegitimizing violent extremist narratives. 
        Analysis by the Council on Foreign Relations concluded that, 
        ``Anti-terrorism messages are disseminated quite effectively 
        throughout families and communities by women, who can challenge 
        extremist narratives in homes, schools and social environments, 
        and have particular influence among youth populations.''.
            (5) Extremist groups take strategic advantage of the 
        relative absence of women in police and military forces. As 
        security officials, women provide distinct insights, 
        information, and analyses that can be mission-critical in 
        keeping the peace. They may have access to populations and 
        sites that men do not, allowing them to gather critical 
        intelligence about potential security threats.
            (6) Research has demonstrated a relationship between the 
        security of women and the security of states. According to a 
        Texas A&M study, less empowerment for women in the household 
        correlates with less stability nationwide, measured by 
        political instability, lack of freedoms, autocracy, corruption, 
        and internal conflict. Countries where women are less empowered 
        at the household level are also more likely to produce foreign 
        fighters going to territory controlled by terrorist 
        organizations.
            (7) Counterterrorism policy has not been as effective at 
        understanding how women can improve security efforts. According 
        to the June 2016 U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace and 
        Security, ``A narrow understanding of women's roles in CVE 
        [countering violent extremism] limits policy options and 
        perpetuates strategic blind spots, such as failing to recognize 
        women's agency as potential mitigators and perpetrators of 
        violence.''.
            (8) According to a 2015 United States Agency for 
        International Development study of women's participation in 
        violent extremism, there has been ``a marked gap in CVE 
        [countering violent extremism] programming, which has focused 
        mostly on male participation, without a commensurate reflection 
        on and response to female-specific drivers and recruitment 
        strategies.''.
            (9) The ``Department of State & USAID Joint Strategy on 
        Countering Violent Extremism'', dated May 2016, notes that 
        ``women can play a critical role in identifying and addressing 
        drivers of violent extremism in their families, communities, 
        and broader society''; and commits to supporting programs that 
        engage women ``as key stakeholders in preventing and countering 
        violent extremism in their communities''. Women are on the 
        front lines of observing and countering extremist violence, 
        including as police officers engaging with local communities to 
        prevent violent extremism, imams and other religious leaders 
        preaching religious tolerance, and as those countering efforts 
        to radicalize their husbands, children, and communities.
            (10) The Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 (Public Law 
        115-68) established that ``Women in conflict-affected regions 
        have achieved significant success in moderating violent 
        extremism [and] countering terrorism.''.
            (11) The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 
        115-31) required the creation of a comprehensive, inter-agency 
        United States Government strategy to support women and girls at 
        risk from extremism and conflict. Congress has also allocated 
        $45,000,000 to support women and girls at risk from extremism 
        and conflict.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    It shall be the policy of the United States to recognize women's 
varied roles in all aspects of violent extremism and terrorism, 
including as victims, perpetrators, and preventers, and to promote the 
meaningful participation of women as full partners in all efforts to 
prevent and counter violent extremism and terrorism.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF ASSISTANCE TO WOMEN-LED AND WOMEN'S 
              EMPOWERMENT ORGANIZATIONS.

    The President is authorized to provide assistance to non-United 
States-based women-led and women's empowerment organizations in foreign 
countries working on countering violent extremism and terrorism in such 
countries, including for the following purposes:
            (1) Supporting capacity-building efforts of such 
        organizations and of women preventing and countering violent 
        extremism and terrorism, including in the use of conflict 
        analysis tools and methodologies.
            (2) Ensuring representation of women in working groups and 
        initiatives discussing countering violent extremism and 
        terrorism policies, strategies, and analyses, and seeking the 
        input of such working groups and initiatives in the design of 
        countering violent extremism and terrorism programs, including 
        policies and programs led by the security sector.
            (3) Supporting projects that advance efforts to prevent or 
        counter violent extremism and terrorism.
            (4) Encouraging national, regional, and local platforms for 
        information exchange between female activists from countries 
        facing violent extremism or terrorism so they can share 
        experiences and learn best practices.

SEC. 5. WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY STRATEGY.

    (a) In General.--Subsection (a) of section 5 of the Women, Peace, 
and Security Act of 2017 (22 U.S.C. 2152j-1; Public Law 115-68) is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(3) include a section on countering violent extremism and 
        terrorism that addresses--
                    ``(A) women's contributions to preventing and 
                countering violent extremism and terrorism, including 
                through their community, religious, and security roles;
                    ``(B) preventing, detecting, and countering women's 
                involvement in violent extremism and terrorism, 
                including their roles as informants, facilitators, 
                recruiters, and suicide bombers;
                    ``(C) how violent extremist and terrorist groups 
                target women and infringe on their rights and safety, 
                and on the broader relationship between gender-based 
                violence and extremism and terrorism;
                    ``(D) the gender dimensions of disarmament, 
                demobilization, and reintegration activities, including 
                women's positive engagement and participation in such 
                efforts and the disarmament of women combatants; and
                    ``(E) such other considerations as are determined 
                appropriate by the President.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) of this 
section shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this section 
and apply beginning with the first Women, Peace, and Security Strategy 
that is required to be submitted pursuant to section 5 of the Women, 
Peace, and Security Act of 2017 after such date of enactment.

SEC. 6. WOMEN AND GIRLS AT RISK FROM VIOLENT EXTREMISM AND CONFLICT 
              STRATEGY.

    Paragraph (2) of section 7059(e) of the Department of State, 
Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2017 
(division J of Public Law 115-31; relating to the strategy to support 
women and girls who are at risk from extremism and conflict) is amended 
by inserting ``and every four years thereafter'' after ``Act''.

SEC. 7. TRAINING FOR UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

    Section 6 of the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 (22 U.S.C. 
2152j-2; Public Law 115-68) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following 
        new paragraph:
            ``(4) Preventing and countering violent extremism and 
        terrorism.''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)(1), by inserting ``preventing and 
        countering violent extremism,'' after ``resolution,''.

SEC. 8. TRAINING PROVIDED BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall seek to increase the 
participation of women receiving training under the Department of 
State's Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) programs, with the goal of 
doubling by the date that is three years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act the total number of women receiving such training 
as of such date of enactment.
    (b) Antiterrorism Assistance.--Section 572 of the Foreign 
Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2349aa-1) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(4) to encourage foreign countries to include women 
        participating in such activities.''.

SEC. 9. RESEARCH.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, and 
the Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
Development, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security 
and the Director of National Intelligence, shall conduct research on 
gender and countering violent extremism and terrorism, such as on the 
following:
            (1) The root and proximate causes of women's and men's 
        participation in terrorist and violent extremist organizations.
            (2) How both violent extremism and countering violent 
        extremism differently impact women and girls versus men and 
        boys.
            (3) Ways to engage women and girls who are vulnerable to 
        extremist and terrorist behavior.
            (4) Ways women and girls can assist in identifying 
        individuals of concern.
            (5) The intersection of violent extremism and terrorism and 
        the following:
                    (A) Gender-based violence.
                    (B) Women's empowerment at the household level, 
                such as property and inheritance rights, bride-price 
                and dowry, and the level of societal sanction for the 
                killing or harming of women.
                    (C) Adolescent girls' empowerment, such as the 
                level of early, child, and forced marriage, and of 
                girls' access to secondary education.
            (6) Best practices to support women preventing and 
        countering violent extremism and terrorism.
    (b) Utilization.--The Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, and 
the Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
Development shall utilize the results of research required under 
subsection (a) to inform programming, including by updating relevant 
country, regional, and inter-agency strategies, projects, and 
activities, of the Department of Defense, the Department of State, and 
the United States Agency for International Development, respectively.
    (c) Submission to Congress.--Not later than two years after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, Secretary 
of State, and the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
International Development shall jointly submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a report on the results of research required 
under subsection (a).

SEC. 10. ANNUAL COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM.

    Section 140 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal 
Years 1988 and 1989 (22 U.S.C. 2656f) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (c) through (e) as 
        subsections (d) through (f), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(c) Gender Analysis.--
            ``(1) In general.--The report required under subsection (a) 
        of this section shall include, for not fewer than five foreign 
        countries considered in such report, a gender analysis of the 
        conflict drivers, power dynamics, and impacts that are relevant 
        to violent extremism in each such country, such as the 
        following:
                    ``(A) Terrorist recruitment practices.
                    ``(B) Drivers of radicalization.
                    ``(C) Women's participation, status, and agency in 
                their homes, communities, and society, including 
                whether such women experience subordination, exclusion 
                or gender-based violence.
                    ``(D) Access to resources and services.
            ``(2) Selection criteria.--Foreign countries shall be 
        selected for purposes of the gender analysis required under 
        paragraph (1) on the basis of the following:
                    ``(A) Low levels of gender equality in such 
                country.
                    ``(B) Access necessary to conduct such a gender 
                analysis in such country.
                    ``(C) Engagement or attempted engagement of 
                organizations, including organizations led by women, to 
                empower women to prevent and counter violent extremism 
                and terrorism in such country.
                    ``(D) Other criteria as determined by the Secretary 
                of State.''.

SEC. 11. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the 
Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development 
and the Secretary of Defense, shall provide a briefing and submit to 
the appropriate congressional committees a report on the implementation 
of this Act.
    (b) Public Availability.--The report required under subsection (a) 
shall be posted and made available on a text-based, searchable, and 
publicly available internet website.

SEC. 12. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the 
                Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Homeland 
                Security and Governmental Affairs, and the Committee on 
                Appropriations of the Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee 
                on Armed Services, the Committee on Homeland Security, 
                and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (2) Countering violent extremism.--The term ``countering 
        violent extremism'' means proactive actions to counter efforts 
        by violent extremists to radicalize, recruit, and mobilize 
        followers to violence and to address specific factors that 
        facilitate violent extremist recruitment and radicalization to 
        violence.
            (3) Terrorism.--The term ``terrorism'' has the meaning 
        given such term in subsection (d) of section 140 of the Foreign 
        Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 (22 
        U.S.C. 2656f).
                                 <all>