SRES 99 — A resolution supporting the goals of International Women's Day.

99 IntroducedReported in Senate (IS)](RS)] <DOC> 118thCalendar CONGRESSNo. 1st Session S.

54 118th CONGRESS 1st Session S.

Kaine, and Mr.

Van Hollen)Hollen, submittedand theMr. following resolution;

whichCoons) wassubmitted referred to the Committeefollowing onresolution; Foreign Relations _______________________________________________________________________ RESOLUTION Supporting the goals of International Women's Day.

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations May 4, 2023 Reported by Mr.

Menendez, without amendment and an amendment to the preamble [Strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic] _______________________________________________________________________ RESOLUTION Supporting the goals of International Women's Day.

Now, therefore, be it Whereas, as of March 2023, there are approximately 3,990,000,000 women and girls in the world, making up \1/2\ of the world's population;

Whereas women and girls around the world-- (1) have fundamental human rights;

(2) play a critical role in providing and caring for their families and driving positive change in their communities;

(3) contribute substantially to food security, economic growth, the prevention and resolution of conflict, and the sustainability of peace and stability;

(4) are affected in different and often disproportionate ways by global, country, and community circumstances, including economic downturns, global health concerns, conflict, and migration;

and (5) must have meaningful protections and opportunities to more fully participate in and lead the political, social, and economic lives of their communities and countries;

Whereas the advancement and empowerment of women and girls around the world is a foreign policy priority for the United States and is critical to the achievement of global peace, prosperity, and sustainability;

Whereas, on October 6, 2017, the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 (22 U.S.C.

2152j et seq.) was enacted into law, which includes requirements for a government-wide ``Women, Peace, and Security Strategy'' to promote and strengthen the participation of women in peace negotiations and conflict prevention overseas, enhanced training for relevant United States Government personnel, and follow-up evaluations of the effectiveness of the strategy;

Whereas the United States Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security, dated June 2019, recognizes that-- (1) the ``[s]ocial and political marginalization of women strongly correlates with the likelihood that a country will experience conflict'';

(2) there is a ``tremendous amount of untapped potential among the world's women and girls to identify, recommend, and implement effective solutions to conflict'', and there are ``benefits derived from creating opportunities for women and girls to serve as agents of peace via political, economic, and social empowerment'';

and (3) barriers to the meaningful participation of women and girls in conflict prevention and resolution efforts ``include under-representation in political leadership, pervasive violence against women and girls, and persistent inequality in many societies'';

Whereas, according to the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (commonly referred to as ``UN Women''), peace negotiations are more likely to end in a peace agreement when women and women's groups play a meaningful role in the negotiation process;

Whereas, according to a study by the International Peace Institute, a peace agreement is 35 percent more likely to last at least 15 years if women participate in the development of the peace agreement;

Whereas, according to the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the Department of State, the full and meaningful participation of women in criminal justice professions and security forces vastly enhances the effectiveness of the resulting workforces;

Whereas, despite the contributions of women to society, hundreds of millions of women and girls around the world continue to be denied the right to participate freely in civic and economic life, lack fundamental legal protections, and remain vulnerable to exploitation and abuse;

Whereas, every year, approximately 12,000,000 girls are married before they reach the age of 18, which means that-- (1) nearly 33,000 girls are married every day;

or (2) nearly 23 girls are married every minute;

Whereas, despite global progress, it is predicted that by 2030 more than 150,000,000 more girls will marry before reaching the age of 18, and approximately 2,400,000 girls who are married before reaching the age of are under the age of 15;

Whereas girls living in countries affected by conflict or other humanitarian crises are often the most vulnerable to child marriage, and 9 of the 10 countries with the highest rates of child marriage are considered fragile or extremely fragile;

Whereas, on August 15, 2021, the Taliban entered Kabul, Afghanistan, and toppled the elected government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, resulting in de facto Taliban rule over the people of Afghanistan;

Whereas the Taliban continues to restrict the ability of women and girls to exist in Afghan society, including by-- (1) prohibiting girls from going to school past sixth grade, including banning women from attending university;

(2) limiting the employment that women can pursue outside of their households;

(3) mandating that women cover their heads and faces in public and punishing those who wear brightly colored clothing;

(4) restricting the independent movement of women and girls;

(5) closing domestic abuse shelters, sometimes forcing residents to return to their abusive families;

(6) preventing women aid workers from operating in Afghanistan, thus restricting operations in support of humanitarian assistance for all Afghans;

(7) jailing women human rights defenders;

and (8) limiting access to women's healthcare, including preventative and emergency services, and requiring a male chaperone at most clinics and hospitals;

Whereas, according to the United Nation's Children's Fund (commonly referred to as ``UNICEF'')-- (1) approximately \1/4\ of girls between the ages of 15 and 19 have been victims of some form of physical violence;

(2) approximately 120,000,000 girls worldwide, about 1 in 10, have experienced forced sexual acts;

and (3) an estimated 1 in 3 women around the world has experienced some form of physical or sexual violence;

Whereas the overall level of violence against women is a better predictor of the peacefulness of a country, the compliance of a country with international treaty obligations, and the relations of a country with neighboring countries than indicators measuring the level of democracy, level of wealth, or level of institutionalization of the country;