,i #aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #daab ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,february #bg1 #bjad ,ms4 ,jackson ,lee 7for herself1 ,ms4 ,lee of ,california1 ,mr4 ,honda1 ,ms4 ,moore1 and ,mr4 ,hastings of ,florida7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to require that activities carried out by the ,united ,states in ,south ,sudan relating to governance1 reconstruction and development1 and refugee relief and assistance will support the basic human rights of women and women's participation and leadership in these areas4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,equal ,rights and ,access for the ,women of ,south ,sudan ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,despite the #bjaa referendum for secession that established the independent state of ,south ,sudan1 ,south ,sudanese women continue to experience brutal violation of their human rights4 7#b7 ,strong and continued ,united ,states support can ensure that the advances made by ,south ,sudanese women since ,july #bjaa when the ,republic of ,south ,sudan gained its independence will continue and grow1 rather than recede4 7#c7 ,the ,united ,states has made a substantial contribution to the emergency relief and humanitarian efforts for ,south ,sudan4 ,completing the ,united ,states mission in ,south ,sudan will also require significant and long-term investments in development and reconstruction assistance4 7#d7 ,an inadequate healthcare system has resulted in high maternal and infant mortality rates4 ,the maternal mortality rate is #a1jed deaths per #ajj1jjj live births1 making it one of the highest in the world4 7#e7 ,south ,sudan faces many difficulties with its lack of infrastructure and lacks significant human development factors1 which can further marginalize women4 7#f7 ,over #hj percent of women and girls in ,south ,sudan are illiterate1 and thus it is imperative to both secure and inform women's rights within the national development4 7#g7 ,with the assistance of internal aid and the proliferation of local women's organizations1 women's equality can be integrated into ,south ,sudan's nation-building efforts4 7#h7 ,south ,sudan has made gains in incorporating women into the new regime with efforts such as inclusion in the legislative assembly1 thus additional support from the ,united ,states serves to reinforce these ideals and implementations4 7#i7 ,the women of ,south ,sudan are taking the initiative to reach across the conflict divide and foster peace4 ,women's perspectives and experiences in seeking solutions to conflicts are necessary to ensure lasting peace4 7#aj7 ,adequate security in both urban and rural areas1 particularly on military borders1 is essential if women and girls are to exercise their human rights1 work1 attend school1 and otherwise participate in and benefit from humanitarian and development programs sponsored by the ,united ,states4 #c4 ,requirements relating to ,united ,states activities relating to ,south ,sudan 7a7 ,in general ,activities described in subsections 7b7 through 7e7 that are carried out by the ,united ,states in ,south ,sudan shall comply with the applicable requirements contained in such subsections4 7b7 ,governance of south sudan ,with respect to the governance of ,south ,sudan1 the applicable requirements are the following3 7#a7 ,include the perspectives and advice from ,south ,sudanese women's organizations1 networks1 and leaders in ,united ,states policymaking related to the governance of ,south ,sudan4 7#b7 ,promote the inclusion of a significant number of women in the ,national ,legislature and future legislative bodies to ensure that women's full range of human rights are included and upheld in any constitution or legal structures of ,south ,sudan4 7#c7 ,promote the continuation and strengthening of the rights of women as the ,south ,sudan ,government transitions to a long-term government structure1 and encourage the appointment of women to high level positions within ,south ,sudanese ,government4 7c7 ,post-,conflict reconstruction and development ,with respect to activities relating to post-conflict stability in ,south ,sudan1 the applicable requirements are the following3 7#a7 ,ensure that a significant portion of ,united ,states development1 humanitarian1 and relief assistance is channeled to local and ,united ,states-based ,south ,sudanese organizations1 particularly ,south ,sudanese women's organizations4 ,provide technical assistance1 training1 and capacity-building for local organizations to ensure that ,united ,states funded efforts will be both effective and sustainable4 7#b7 ,encourage ,united ,states organizations that receive funds authorized by this ,act to partner with or create ,south ,sudanese-led counterpart organizations and provide these organizations with significant financial resources1 technical assistance1 and capacity building4 7#c7 ,provide direct financial and programmatic assistance to the ,ministry of ,women's ,affairs adequate to ensure that the ,ministry is able to fulfill its mandate4 7#d7 ,promote multiyear women-centered economic development programs1 including programs to assist widows1 female heads of household1 women in rural areas1 and disabled women4 7#e7 ,increase women's access to or ownership of productive assets such as land1 water1 agricultural inputs1 credit1 and property4 7#f7 ,provide long-term financial assistance for primary1 secondary1 higher1 nontraditional1 and vocational education for ,south ,sudanese girls1 women1 boys1 and men4 7#g7 ,provide financial assistance to build the health infrastructure and to deliver high-quality comprehensive health care programs1 including primary1 maternal1 child1 reproductive1 and mental health care4 7#h7 ,integrate education and training programs for former combatants with economic development programs to encourage their reintegration into society and to promote post-conflict stability4 7#i7 ,provide assistance to rehabilitate children affected by the conflict1 particularly child soldiers4 7#aj7 ,support educational efforts to increase awareness with respect to landmines1 facilitate the removal of landmines1 and provide services to individuals with disabilities caused by landmines4 7#aa7 ,include programs to prevent trafficking in persons1 assist victims1 and apprehend and prosecute traffickers in persons4 7d7 ,south sudanese military and police ,with respect to training for military and police forces in ,south ,sudan1 the applicable requirements are the following3 7#a7 ,include training on the protection1 rights1 and the particular needs of women and emphasize that violations of women's rights are intolerable and should be prosecuted4 7#b7 ,encourage such trainers who will carry out the activities in paragraph 7#a7 to consult with women's organizations in ,south ,sudan to ensure that training content and materials are adequate1 appropriate1 and comprehensive4 7e7 ,relief1 resettlement1 and repatriation of refugees and the internally displaced ,with respect to the relief1 resettlement1 and repatriation of refugees and internally displaced in ,south ,sudan1 the applicable requirements are the following3 7#a7 ,take all necessary steps to ensure that women refugees and internally displaced in camps1 urban areas1 and villages are directly receiving food aid1 shelter1 relief supplies1 and other services from ,united ,states-sponsored programs4 7#b7 ,take all necessary steps to ensure that women refugees in camps1 urban areas1 and villages are accessing high-quality health and medical services1 including primary1 maternal1 child1 and mental health services4 7#c7 ,take all necessary steps to ensure that women and children in refugee camps are protected from sexual exploitation4 7#d7 ,take all necessary steps to ensure refugees and internally displaced persons that seek to return to their place of origin can do so voluntarily1 safely1 and with the full protection of their rights4 ,united ,states-sponsored efforts shall not coerce refugees or internally displaced persons to return to their places of origin4 #d4 ,reporting requirements ,not later than #fj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 and annually thereafter1 the ,president shall prepare and transmit to ,congress a report that contains documentation of the progress in implementing the requirements of section #c4 ,all data shall be disaggregated by sex4