III 117th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 229 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 24, 2021 Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Ms. Collins , Mr. Menendez , Mr. Risch , Mr. Cardin , Mr. Johnson , Mr. Coons , Mr. Romney , Mr. Murphy , Mr. Portman , Mr. Kaine , Mr. Cruz , Mr. Markey , Mr. Rounds , Mr. Merkley , Mr. Booker , Mr. Schatz , Mr. Van Hollen , Mr. Durbin , and Mr. Rubio ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations May 27, 2021 Reported by Mr. Menendez , without amendment June 7, 2021 Considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Recognizing the devastating attack on a girls’ school in Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 8, 2021, and expressing solidarity with the Afghan people.

Whereas, on May 8, 2021, a car bomb and several other mechanisms were detonated at the front gates of the Sayed Ul-Shuhada High School in Kabul, killing more than 85 people, many of whom were girls attending the school; Whereas the attack took place as the girls and their families prepared to celebrate Eid al-Fitr; Whereas the school provides education to the Dasht-e Barchi neighborhood, an underserved area of Kabul where many members of the Hazara minority community live; Whereas the Hazara in Dasht-e Barchi have been the target of extremist violence for many years; Whereas, on March 12, 2020, assailants attacked a maternity hospital in Dasht-e Barchi, killing 24 people including 2 newborn babies, mothers, and members of the hospital staff; Whereas 1 of those killed in the attack on the hospital was Maryam Noorzad— (1) who was a midwife serving the Hazara community; (2) who dedicated her life to providing access to healthcare to women in remote parts of Afghanistan; (3) who was murdered after refusing to leave the bedside of a patient in labor; and (4) whose bravery was recognized by the Department of State with an honorary International Women of Courage award; Whereas Afghan girls were restricted from accessing an education under the Taliban, forcing some girls to dress up as boys in order to attend secret schools and continue their education; Whereas, according to a report by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence— (1) there are approximately 3,500,000 girls among the 9,000,000 children who are enrolled in school in Afghanistan; (2) only 17 percent of girls in rural parts of Afghanistan attend school, while 45 percent of girls in urban areas in Afghanistan attend school; (3) 80 percent of Afghan women older than 15 years of age are illiterate; and (4) schools are increasingly being forced to close due to rising insecurity; Whereas the education of girls is a necessary requirement for any country to achieve long-term stability and peace; Whereas the attack coincides with an escalation of violence in Afghanistan, perpetrated by the Taliban, the Islamic State of Iraq, and the Levant (ISIS) and other terrorist organizations; and Whereas the recent escalation in violence has disproportionately impacted women, who have been targeted while working as reporters, administering vaccines, serving in prominent positions, and helping their communities: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1) extends its heartfelt condolences to, and stands with, the people of Afghanistan and the Hazara community; (2) condemns all forms of violence against women and girls in Afghanistan; (3) supports United States and international efforts to ensure that girls in Afghanistan are able to safely attend school; (4) affirms that the United States should continue to provide assistance to support the rights of women and girls to achieve an education; (5) calls on the Government of Afghanistan to support girls’ education and to ensure that girls are able to safely attend school; (6) calls for international condemnation of violence against Afghan women and girls; and (7) asks the international community to devote the resources and attention necessary to provide for the continued safe education of girls in Afghanistan.