,,ii #aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #bcjg ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,may #h1 #bjad ,mrs4 ,boxer 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,menendez1 ,ms4 ,collins1 ,mr4 ,kirk1 and ,mrs4 ,shaheen7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,a ,,bill ,to prevent international violence against women1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title 7a7 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,international ,violence ,against ,women ,act of #bjad4 7b7 ,table of contents ,the table of contents for this ,act is as follows3 ,sec4 #a4 ,short title4 ,sec4 #b4 ,findings4 ,sec4 #c4 ,statement of policy4 ,,title ,i--,international prevention of violence against women and girls ,subtitle ,a--,official designations and institutional changes ,sec4 #aja4 ,office for ,global ,women's ,issues4 ,sec4 #ajb4 ,senior ,coordinator for ,gender ,equality and ,women's ,empowerment4 ,sec4 #ajc4 ,briefing4 ,subtitle ,b--,strategy1 policy1 and programs ,sec4 #aaa4 ,united ,states ,strategy to ,prevent and ,respond to ,gender-,based ,violence ,globally4 ,sec4 #aab4 ,implementation of the ,united ,states ,strategy to ,prevent and ,respond to ,gender-,based ,violence ,globally4 ,sec4 #aac4 ,monitoring the ,united ,states ,strategy to ,prevent and ,respond to ,gender-,based ,violence ,globally4 #b4 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,an estimated #a out of every #c women throughout the world will be beaten1 coerced into sex1 or otherwise abused in her lifetime4 7#b7 ,up to #gj percent of women in some countries report having been victims of domestic violence at some stage in their lives4 7#c7 ,sexual violence among adolescents and pre-adolescents is alarmingly high4 ,in #bjaj1 the first nationally representative survey of violence against children in ,tanzania found that nearly #c in #aj females and #a in #g males experienced sexual violence prior to the age of #ah4 7#d7 ,the ,international ,men and ,gender ,equality ,survey dataset shows that adult male respondents in #f countries who had experienced violence as children were significantly more likely to report perpetrating intimate partner violence themselves than their peers who did not experience violence as children4 7#e7 ,violence against women and girls impedes progress in meeting many ,united ,states global development goals1 including efforts to stem maternal mortality and the spread of ,,hiv_/,,aids4 ,approximately #a in #d women are abused during pregnancy which has been linked to miscarriage1 pre-term labor1 low birth weight1 fetal distress1 and death4 7#f7 ,country studies indicate that the risk of ,,hiv among women who have experienced violence may be up to #c times higher than among those who have not4 ,women who have experienced violence are also at higher risk for contracting ,,hiv1 and women living with ,,hiv may be up to #c times more likely to experience violence than other women4 ,fear of violence also prevents women from accessing ,,hiv_/,,aids information and receiving treatment and counseling4 7#g7 ,the ,president's ,emergency ,plan for ,,aids ,relief 7,,pepfar7 supports significant work in the field to mainstream gender-based violence into existing ,,hiv programs4 ,addressing gender norms and inequities is essential to reducing ,,hiv risk and increasing access to ,,hiv prevention1 care and treatment services for women and men4 7#h7 ,increasing women's access to economic opportunities and food security is crucial to preventing and responding to domestic and sexual violence4 ,inclusive finance and micro-enterprise reduce levels of intimate partner violence and provide economic independence for survivors4 7#i7 ,prevalence of sexual violence is higher among persons with disabilities1 particularly for adolescents and intimate partners with disabilities1 and for men and women with intellectual impairments living in institutions4 7#aj7 ,displaced1 refugee1 and stateless women and girls in humanitarian emergencies1 conflict settings1 and natural disasters face extreme violence and threats1 including-- 7,a7 being forced to exchange sex for food and humanitarian supplies2 and 7,b7 being at increased risk of rape1 sexual exploitation1 and abuse4 7#aa7 ,rape and sexual assault against women and girls are used to torture1 intimidate1 and terrorize women and their communities4 7#ab7 ,early and forced marriage of the girl child-- 7,a7 is a violation of human rights as it denies girls the right to decide when and with whom to marry2 7,b7 is a harmful practice that deprives girls of their dignity1 bringing childhood and adolescence to a premature and unnatural end2 7,c7 can end girls' education and can result in bonded labor or enslavement1 commercial sexual exploitation1 and violence against the victims2 7,d7 significantly increases the risk of maternal death and morbidity1 infant mortality and morbidity1 obstetric fistula1 and sexually transmitted diseases1 including ,,hiv_/,,aids2 and 7,e7 is perpetuated by poverty1 a lack of educational or employment opportunities for girls1 parental concerns to ensure sexual relations within marriage1 the dowry system1 and the perceived lack of value of girls4 7#ac7 ,world ,bank data shows that gender inequality directly corresponds to increased levels of political and economic instability within ,states4 7#ad7 ,domestic violence is the most prevalent form of violence against women and prevents women from playing more active roles in the social1 economic1 and political development of their communities4 ,in humanitarian crises1 this global scourge becomes acute1 preventing women from helping to rebuild their countries4 #c4 ,statement of policy ,it is the policy of the ,united ,states-- 7#a7 to take effective action to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls around the world1 as a matter of basic human rights as well as to promote gender equality1 economic growth1 and improved public health2 7#b7 to systematically integrate and coordinate efforts to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls internationally into ,united ,states foreign policy and foreign assistance programs1 including peacebuilding efforts and humanitarian relief and recovery2 7#c7 to support and build local capacity in developing countries1 including of governments at all levels and nongovernmental organizations1 especially women-led organizations1 to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls2 7#d7 to consult1 cooperate1 coordinate1 and collaborate with a wide variety of nongovernmental partners with demonstrated experience in preventing and responding to violence against women and girls1 including faith-based organizations and women-led organizations2 7#e7 to employ a multisectoral approach to preventing and responding to violence against women and girls internationally1 including activities in the economic1 education1 health1 nutrition1 legal1 and judicial sectors2 7#f7 to work at all levels1 from the individual to the family1 community1 local1 national and international levels1 to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls around the globe2 7#g7 to enhance training by ,united ,states personnel of professional foreign military and police forces and judicial officials to include specific and thorough instruction on preventing and responding to violence against women and girls around the world2 7#h7 to engage men and boys as partners1 as an essential element of making sustained reductions in violence against women and girls2 7#i7 to include the prevention of early and forced marriage as an important part of ,united ,states ,government efforts to prevent violence against girls and promote gender equality and global health2 7#aj7 to require that all ,united ,states contractors and grantees establish appropriate policies and take effective measures to prevent violence against women and girls and sexual exploitation and abuse within their workforce2 7#aa7 to exert sustained international leadership to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls1 including in bilateral and multilateral fora2 7#ab7 to implement the ,united ,states ,strategy to ,prevent and ,respond to ,gender-,based ,violence ,globally2 and 7#ac7 to implement the ,united ,states ,national ,action ,plan on ,women1 ,peace1 and ,security4 ,i ,international prevention of violence against women and girls ,a ,official designations and institutional changes #aja4 ,office of ,global ,women's ,issues 7a7 ,establishment ,the ,secretary of ,state shall establish in the ,office of the ,secretary of the ,department of ,state an ,office of ,global ,women's ,issues 7in this section referred to as the ,office74 ,the ,office shall be headed by an ,ambassador-at-,large for ,global ,women's ,issues1 who shall be appointed by the ,president1 by and with the advice and consent of the ,senate4 ,the ,ambassador-at-,large shall report directly to the ,secretary and shall have the rank and status of ,ambassador-at-,large4 7b7 ,purpose ,in addition to the duties described in subsection 7c7 and those duties determined by the ,secretary of ,state1 the ,ambassador-at-,large shall coordinate efforts of the ,united ,states ,government as directed by the ,secretary regarding gender integration and advancing the status of women and girls in ,united ,states foreign policy4 7c7 ,duties 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,ambassador-at-,large-- 7,a7 shall direct activities1 policies1 programs1 and funding relating to gender equality and the advancement of women and girls internationally1 including those intended to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls1 for all bureaus and offices of the ,department of ,state and in the international programs of all other ,federal agencies2 7,b7 shall actively promote and advance the full integration of gender analysis into the programs1 structures1 processes1 and capacities of all bureaus and offices of the ,department of ,state and in the international programs of other ,federal agencies2 7,c7 shall direct1 as appropriate1 ,united ,states ,government resources to respond to needs for gender integration and empowerment of women in ,united ,states ,government foreign policies and international programs1 including to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls internationally2 7,d7 may design1 support1 and implement activities regarding empowerment of women internationally1 including for the prevention of and response to violence against women and girls internationally2 7,e7 shall conduct regular consultation with civil society organizations working to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls internationally2 7,f7 shall ensure that programs1 projects1 and activities designed to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls internationally are subject to rigorous monitoring and evaluation1 and that there is a uniform set of indicators and standards for such monitoring and evaluation that is used across all ,federal agencies2 7,g7 shall serve as the principal advisor to the ,secretary of ,state regarding gender equality1 women's empowerment1 and violence against women and girls as a foreign policy matter2 and 7,h7 is authorized to represent the ,united ,states in diplomatic and multilateral fora on matters relevant to the status of women and girls1 including violence against women and girls internationally4 7#b7 ,information sharing and transparency ,the ,office shall be the central repository of data on all ,united ,states programs1 projects1 and activities that relate to prevention and response to violence against women and girls1 and shall produce a full accounting of ,united ,states ,government spending on such programs1 projects1 and activities4 #ajb4 ,senior ,coordinator for ,gender ,equality and ,women's ,empowerment 7a7 ,establishment ,there is established in the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development a ,senior ,coordinator for ,gender ,equality and ,women's ,empowerment1 who shall report to the ,administrator of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development and who shall conduct the activities of the ,administrator under this ,act4 7b7 ,in general ,the ,senior ,coordinator for ,gender ,equality and ,women's ,empowerment-- 7#a7 shall direct activities1 policies1 programs1 and funding of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development relating to gender equality and women's empowerment1 including those intended to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls2 7#b7 shall actively promote and advance the full integration of gender analysis into the programs1 structures1 processes1 and capacities of all bureaus and offices of the ,agency as dictated by the ,,usaid ,gender ,equality and ,female ,empowerment ,policy2 7#c7 shall direct ,agency resources for gender equality and women's empowerment1 including to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls internationally2 7#d7 may design1 support1 and implement activities led by the ,agency regarding gender equality and women's empowerment1 including for the prevention and response of violence against women and girls internationally2 7#e7 shall conduct regular consultation with civil society organizations working to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls internationally2 7#f7 shall serve as the principal advisor to the ,administrator regarding gender equality1 women's empowerment1 and violence against women and girls2 and 7#g7 shall track and analyze monitoring and evaluation data and findings on international prevention and response programs of the ,agency1 consistent with ,agency-wide monitoring and evaluation activities1 and in order to assist in the preparation of the comprehensive strategy developed under section #aaa4 #ajc4 ,briefing ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 and annually thereafter1 the ,ambassador-at-,large and ,senior ,coordinator shall brief the appropriate congressional committees on international violence against women and girls prevention and response strategies1 programming1 and associated outcomes1 and shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees an assessment of human and financial resources necessary to fulfill the purposes and duties of this ,act4 ,b ,strategy1 policy1 and programs #aaa4 ,united ,states ,strategy to ,prevent and ,respond to ,gender-,based ,violence ,globally 7a7 ,global strategy requirement ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 and annually thereafter for five years1 the ,ambassador-at-,large1 in consultation with the ,senior ,coordinator1 shall develop or update a ,united ,states global strategy to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls4 ,such strategy shall be transmitted to the appropriate congressional committees and made publicly available on the ,internet4 7b7 ,initial strategy ,for the purposes of this section1 the ,united ,states ,strategy to ,prevent and ,respond to ,gender-,based ,violence ,globally1 issued in ,august #bjab1 shall be deemed to fulfill the initial requirement of subsection 7a74 7c7 ,implementation plan ,not later than #fj days after submission of the strategy under subsection 7a71 the ,ambassador-at-,large1 in consultation with the ,senior ,coordinator1 shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees an implementation plan detailing how the strategy will be implemented in the upcoming five fiscal years1 including the budget resources requested1 and the specific activities to be supported1 by each ,executive agency under the strategy4 7d7 ,collaboration and coordination ,in developing the strategy under subsection 7a71 the ,ambassador-at-,large and ,senior ,coordinator shall consult with-- 7#a7 the heads of relevant ,federal agencies2 7#b7 the ,senior ,policy ,operating ,group on ,trafficking in ,persons2 and 7#c7 representatives of civil society and multi-lateral organizations with demonstrated experience in addressing violence against women and girls or promoting gender equality internationally4 7e7 ,content ,the implementation plan required under subsection 7c7 shall-- 7#a7 identify eligible low-income and lower-middle income countries with significant levels of violence against women and girls1 including within displaced communities1 that have the governmental or nongovernmental organizational capacity to manage and implement gender-based violence prevention and response program activities and should1 when possible1 be geographically1 ethnically1 and culturally diverse from one another2 7#b7 select #e to #bj of the eligible countries identified under paragraph 7#a7 in which to develop comprehensive and holistic individual country plans that incorporate at least two of the program activities listed in section #aab7;b72 7#c7 assess and describe the current or potential capacity of the government of each eligible country selected under paragraph 7#b7 and civil society organizations in each such eligible country to address and respond to violence against women and girls2 7#d7 identify coordination mechanisms with ,federal agencies that-- 7,a7 have existing programs relevant to the strategy2 7,b7 will be involved in new program activities2 and 7,c7 are engaged in broader ,united ,states strategies around development2 7#e7 describe the monitoring and evaluation mechanisms established for each eligible country1 and their intended use in assessing overall progress in prevention and response2 7#f7 project general levels of resources needed to achieve the stated objectives in each eligible country1 including an accounting of-- 7,a7 activities and funding already expended by the ,department of ,state1 the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development1 other ,federal agencies1 other donor country governments1 and other multilateral institutions2 and 7,b7 leveraged private sector resources2 7#g7 integrate gender analysis into the strategy for each country2 and 7#h7 include1 as appropriate1 strategies designed to accommodate the needs of stateless1 disabled1 internally displaced1 refugee1 or religious or ethnic minority women and girls4 #aab4 ,implementation of the ,united ,states ,strategy to ,prevent and ,respond to ,gender-,based ,violence ,globally 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,state and the ,administrator of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development are authorized to provide assistance to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls internationally4 7b7 ,program activities supported ,assistance provided to each country selected under section #aaa7;e77#b7 should include at least two of the following activities3 7#a7 ,development and implementation of programs that work to change social norms and attitudes so that violence against women and girls is neither condoned nor tolerated4 7#b7 ,promotion of accessible quality educational and literacy opportunities for women and girls4 7#c7 ,promotion of access to economic opportunities1 including by increasing distribution1 credit1 property1 and inheritance rights for women and girls4 7#d7 ,development and enforcement of civil and criminal legal and judicial sanctions1 protections1 trainings1 and capacity4 7#e7 ,enhancement of the health sector capacity to detect1 prevent1 and respond to violence against women and girls4 7c7 ,building local capacity ,not less than #aj percent of the amount of assistance provided to an eligible country under this section should be provided to community-based nongovernmental organizations1 with priority given to nongovernmental organizations led by women4 #aac4 ,monitoring the ,united ,states ,strategy to ,prevent and ,respond to ,gender-,based ,violence ,globally 7a7 ,in general ,in each strategy submitted under section #aaa7;a71 the ,ambassador-at-,large and ,senior ,coordinator shall include an analysis of best practices for preventing and addressing violence against women and girls internationally1 which shall include-- 7#a7 a description of successful efforts by foreign governments1 multilateral institutions1 nongovernmental organizations1 educational organizations1 and faith-based organizations in preventing and responding to violence against women and girls2 7#b7 recommendations related to best practices1 effective strategies1 and improvements to enhance the impact of prevention and response efforts2 and 7#c7 the impact of activities funded by the strategy in preventing and reducing violence against women and girls internationally4 7b7 ,amendments ,the ,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa is amended-- 7#a7 in section #aaf7;d7 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #baean7d77-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#aa77;,c71 by striking and at the end2 7,b7 in paragraph 7#ab77;,c77ii71 by striking the period at the end and inserting 2 and2 and 7,c7 by adding at the end the following new paragraph3 7#ac7 wherever applicable1 the nature and extent of violence against women and girls4 2 and 7#b7 in section #ejb;,b 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bcjd7-- 7,a7 by redesignating the second subsection designated as subsection 7i7 as subsection 7j72 and 7,b7 by adding at the end the following new subsection3 7k7 ,inclusion of information relating to violence against women and girls ,the report required by subsection 7b7 shall include1 wherever applicable1 the nature and extent of violence against women and girls4 4 7c7 ,monitoring and evaluation ,in coordination with relevant officials1 and consistent with the monitoring and evaluation policies of their respective agencies1 the ,ambassador-at-,large and the ,senior ,coordinator shall develop a plan for monitoring and independent evaluation of programs1 projects1 and activities carried out under this ,act4 ,the plan shall-- 7#a7 apply rigorous monitoring and evaluation methodologies to focus on learning1 accountability1 and policymaking1 choosing from among a wide variety of qualitative1 quantitative1 summative1 and formative methods common in the field of social scientific inquiry1 including impact evaluations2 and 7#b7 be included in the implementation plan required under section #aaa7;c74 7d7 ,research and data collection ,the ,secretary and the ,administrator shall-- 7#a7 produce original research or analysis of effective interventions to prevent or respond to violence against women and girls internationally2 7#b7 collect and analyze new or existing data on the scope and extent of all forms of violence against women and girls internationally1 including under-documented forms of violence and violence against marginalized groups2 7#c7 conduct research on effective interventions to respond to violence against women and girls internationally1 including efforts to scale up effective programming2 and 7#d7 support systemic data collection using internationally comparable indicators1 norms1 and methodologies for measuring the scope1 prevalence1 and incidence of violence against women and girls internationally4