Title: Encouraging all nations to end sexual violence against girls through in-country data-driven reforms as demonstrated by multiple African nations.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution recognizes sexual violence against girls as a serious global issue. The resolution encourages the implementation of certain measures to protect girls from abuse, including (1) increased international efforts to eliminate female genital mutilation and cutting, and (2) the widespread dissemination of surveys that measure levels of sexual violence.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 723 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 723

 Encouraging all nations to end sexual violence against girls through 
  in-country data-driven reforms as demonstrated by multiple African 
                                nations.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 20, 2019

Ms. Wild (for herself, Ms. Frankel, Ms. Norton, Mr. Sensenbrenner, Ms. 
 Velazquez, Mr. Pappas, Mr. Payne, Ms. Lee of California, Ms. Brownley 
of California, Ms. Houlahan, Mr. Keating, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Ted 
Lieu of California, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Trone, 
   Ms. Escobar, Mrs. Dingell, and Mr. Costa) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and 
in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Encouraging all nations to end sexual violence against girls through 
  in-country data-driven reforms as demonstrated by multiple African 
                                nations.

Whereas the 2006 United Nations World Report on Violence Against Children 
        galvanized many nations in their commitment to face the challenge of 
        ending all violence, including sexual violence, against children in 
        stating, ``No violence is justifiable, and all violence is 
        preventable.'';
Whereas sexual violence against girls is a domestic and international plague 
        that spares no culture, country, race, religion, or ethnicity;
Whereas data from United Nations Children's Fund indicate up to 50 percent of 
        sexual assaults worldwide are committed against girls under 16 years of 
        age;
Whereas sexual violence against girls and the lifelong consequences impede their 
        potential contributions to society and present a major obstacle for 
        nations in the journey to self-reliance with political and economic 
        stability;
Whereas the African population is predicted to double by the year 2050, 
        resulting in the increased potential of an estimated population of 
        2,500,000,000 with more than 50 percent of the population 18 years of 
        age or younger;
Whereas realizing the full potential of all Africans requires eliminating gender 
        inequities in education;
Whereas sexual violence against children and adolescents perpetuates 
        intergenerational poverty through factors including increased school 
        absenteeism, decreased years in school, and early childbearing;
Whereas the economic growth of Africa is around 3 percent per year, and 4 of the 
        top 10 countries with the fastest growing economies are on the African 
        continent including Ethiopia, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, and Mozambique;
Whereas Africa could realize a 2 percent to 2.5 percent growth in the annual per 
        capita gross domestic product through a 1-year increase in the average 
        education attained per child;
Whereas sexual violence during childhood is associated with serious immediate 
        and long-term health impacts including but not limited to higher rates 
        of pregnancy, maternal mortality, suicide, depression, substance abuse, 
        heart disease, obesity, and HIV/AIDS;
Whereas girls ages 15 through 19 have the highest risk of experiencing sexual 
        violence and currently account for 75 percent of new HIV infections in 
        sub-Saharan Africa totaling 1,000 newly infected young women each day;
Whereas complications of pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death 
        among girls 15 to 19 years of age in sub-Saharan Africa where 90 percent 
        of adolescent pregnancies are associated with child marriage;
Whereas female genital mutilation/cutting (referred to in this resolution as 
        ``FGM/C''), an invasive procedure with no medical necessity, represents 
        a form of gender-based discrimination, is recognized internationally as 
        a violation of the human rights of girls and women and can be recognized 
        as sexual violence;
Whereas over 200,000,000 women and girls living today endured the irreversible 
        procedure FGM/C and according to the World Health Organization, over 
        3,900,000 additional girls are at risk of suffering FGM/C each year;
Whereas FGM/C causes irreparable deformation, pain, bleeding, and increased risk 
        of HIV infection, and can result in complications such as shock, 
        fistulas, complications of childbirth, and death;
Whereas sexual violence against children, as defined by the Centers for Disease 
        Control and Prevention (referred to in this resolution as the ``CDC''), 
        includes all forms of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children. 
        This encompasses a range of acts, including completed nonconsensual sex 
        acts (such as rape), attempted nonconsensual sex acts, abusive sexual 
        contact (such as unwanted touching), and noncontact sexual abuse (such 
        as threatened sexual violence, exhibitionism, verbal sexual harassment, 
        and use of explicit images);
Whereas recognizing the need for data and evidence to guide actions to end 
        violence against children, the CDC partnered with United Nations 
        Children's Fund (referred to in this resolution as ``UNICEF'') Swaziland 
        (now Eswatini) and the Government of Eswatini to develop and implement 
        the scientifically sound surveillance tool, Violence Against Children 
        and Youth Surveys (referred to in this resolution as ``VACS'');
Whereas VACS are nationally representative household surveys designed to define 
        the magnitude, nature, and consequences of sexual, physical, and 
        emotional violence among children and adolescents;
Whereas the governments of 22 nations including 14 African nations (Botswana, 
        Cote d'Ivoire, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, 
        Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) demonstrated 
        leadership in addressing the pandemic of sexual violence against girls 
        through the implementation of VACS with technical support from the CDC 
        and coordination from multistakeholders including UNICEF, Together for 
        Girls, and others;
Whereas VACS data from over 30,000 respondents in Africa revealed--

    (1) over 25 percent of girls and 10 percent of boys experienced sexual 
violence before the age of 18 years;

    (2) for 1 in 4 girls, their first sexual intercourse experience was 
forced or coerced;

    (3) the most common perpetrators of sexual violence are people known to 
the victims;

    (4) only about half of the victims of childhood sexual violence tell 
anyone;

    (5) fewer than 10 percent of assaulted girls and 7 percent of assaulted 
boys sought care services and received them;

    (6) 1 of 3 girls who experienced unwanted sex became pregnant before 
the age of 18 years;

    (7) two-thirds of boys who experience sexual violence report mental 
distress later in life; and

    (8) sexual violence against children and adolescents was associated 
with a 370-percent increase in the incidence of HIV infection, a 350-
percent increase in the incidence of unwanted pregnancies, and a 200-
percent increase in attempted suicide;

Whereas country-specific surveillance data from VACS were analyzed by scientists 
        at the CDC and presented to the government-led, public and private 
        multistakeholder, in-country team to catalyze the formation of the 
        individual nationwide action plans;
Whereas the formation of data-driven action plans utilizes INSPIRE, a World 
        Health Organization technical package of proven strategies to reduce 
        violence, including--

    (1) implementation and enforcement of laws;

    (2) norms and values;

    (3) safe environments;

    (4) parent and caregiver support;

    (5) income and economic strengthening;

    (6) response and support services; and

    (7) education and life skills;

Whereas INSPIRE guided action plans resulting in significant progress in 
        strengthening protection for youth included--

    (1) in response to a 38-percent prevalence of childhood sexual violence 
among girls, the Government of Eswatini drafted the first law in their 
country making sexual abuse of minors illegal;

    (2) several countries used the data to improve services for victims by 
establishing advocacy centers where health, legal, and social services 
could be accessed;

    (3) countries such as Tanzania and Nigeria, where violence in schools 
was noted to be high, developed policies, codes, and protective guidelines 
for teachers and schools; and

    (4) reforms in Uganda, including expansion of the No Means No! program 
to 20,000 adolescent girls and implementation of the Coaching Boys into Men 
program, contributed to a significant decrease in the incidence of rape;

Whereas the followup household surveillance, VACS, thus far completed in Kenya 
        and Zimbabwe, revealed a significant decrease in sexual violence among 
        children and adolescents after data-driven reforms were instituted;
Whereas sexual violence, common in the United States and around the globe at 
        times of peace, occurs with increased incidence in settings of conflict, 
        migration, internal displacement, and institutionalization where it is 
        known to be used to intimidate, subjugate, and instill fear;
Whereas survivors in these adverse settings commonly experience collective 
        abandonment and an entrenched impunity of their perpetrators; and
Whereas the strong association between experiencing violence in childhood and 
        later perpetrating violence highlights the importance of comprehensive 
        interventions for both survivors and perpetrators: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the United States--
            (1) recognizes that sexual violence against girls remains a 
        devastating global health, human rights, and economic problem 
        that is both unjustifiable and preventable and impedes peace 
        and security;
            (2) recognizes the leadership of African nations using 
        data-driven, in-country, government-led, multisector reform to 
        end sexual violence against girls;
            (3) encourages the commitment of all nations to address the 
        United Nations Sustainable Development Goals including goal 
        16.2, ``End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of 
        violence against and torture of children'', goal 5, ``Achieve 
        gender equality and empower all women and girls'', and goal 
        5.3, ``Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early 
        and forced marriage and female genital mutilations'';
            (4) encourages all nations to put into place proven methods 
        and tools such as VACS, a proven household surveillance tool, 
        and INSPIRE, an evidence-based technical package of strategies, 
        to generate and implement government-led, data-driven, 
        comprehensive, multisector response plans to end sexual 
        violence against girls;
            (5) encourages the establishment of multidisciplinary and 
        integrated systems in every country to ensure that laws are put 
        into place to protect girls and that these laws are enforced by 
        a trained and supported criminal justice system;
            (6) encourages increased global and domestic efforts to 
        eliminate FGM/C;
            (7) encourages funding for further research on the global 
        magnitude, scope, consequences including health, social and 
        economic burdens, and prevention of sexual violence among all 
        children including more vulnerable populations such as children 
        who are disabled, institutionalized, or homeless, children 
        living as refugees, or internally displaced persons, and 
        children living in areas of conflict;
            (8) encourages the establishment of safe, survivor-centered 
        spaces, and advocacy centers for coordination of health, 
        psychologic, and other services for survivors and their 
        families;
            (9) encourages the adaptation and application of the VACS 
        technique in humanitarian contexts to acquire relevant data for 
        analysis to drive planning; and
            (10) encourages domestic use of the proven survey and 
        technical tools VACS and INSPIRE to address sexual violence 
        against girls in the United States.
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