,,iii #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #aja ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #g1 #bjai,mrs4 ,shaheen 7for herself1 ,ms4 ,collins1 ,mr4 ,murphy1 and ,ms4 ,baldwin7 submitted the following resolution2 which was considered and agreed to ,,resolution ,supporting the goals of ,international ,women's ,day4 ,whereas1 as of ,march #bjai1 there are approximately #c1gjj1jjj1jjj women in the world2 ,whereas women and girls around the world-- 7#a7 have fundamental human rights2 7#b7 play a critical role in providing and caring for their families2 7#c7 contribute substantially to food security1 economic growth1 and the prevention and resolution of conflict2 and 7#d7 must be empowered to more fully participate in the political1 social1 and economic lives of their communities in order to accelerate the growth of healthier1 more stable societies2 ,whereas the advancement and empowerment of women and girls around the world is a foreign policy priority for the ,united ,states2 ,whereas the ,national ,security ,strategy of the ,united ,states1 published in ,december #bjag-- 7#a7 declares that societies that empower women to participate fully in civic and economic life are more prosperous and peaceful2 7#b7 supports efforts to advance women's equality1 protect the rights of women and girls1 and promote women and youth empowerment programs2 and 7#c7 recognizes that governments that fail to treat women equally do not allow their societies to reach their potential2 ,whereas the ,united ,states ,national ,action ,plan on ,women1 ,peace1 and ,security1 revised in ,june #bjaf1 states1 ,deadly conflicts can be more effectively avoided1 and peace can be best forged and sustained1 when women become equal partners in all aspects of peacebuilding and conflict prevention1 when their lives are protected1 their voices heard1 and their perspectives taken into account42 ,whereas there are #gi national action plans relating to the empowerment of women around the world1 #aa regional action plans1 and several additional national action plans known to be in development2 ,whereas the joint strategy of the ,department of ,state and the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development entitled ,department of ,state ,,usaid ,joint ,strategy on ,countering ,violent ,extremism and dated ,may #bjaf-- 7#a7 notes that women can play a critical role in identifying and addressing drivers of violent extremism in their families1 communities1 and broader society2 and 7#b7 commits to supporting programs that engage women as key stakeholders in preventing and countering violent extremism in their communities2 ,whereas1 according to the ,bureau of ,international ,narcotics and ,law ,enforcement ,affairs of the ,department of ,state1 the full and meaningful participation of women in security forces vastly enhances the effectiveness of the security forces2 ,whereas1 despite the contributions of women to society1 hundreds of millions of women and girls around the world continue to be denied the right to participate freely in civic and economic life1 lack fundamental legal protections1 and are left vulnerable to exploitation and abuse2 ,whereas1 every year1 approximately #ab1jjj1jjj girls are married before they reach the age of #ah1 which means that-- 7#a7 nearly #cc1jjj girls are married every day2 or 7#b7 nearly #bc girls are married every minute2 ,whereas1 according to the ,international ,labour ,organization1 #ga percent of the estimated #dj1cjj1jjj victims of modern slavery in #bjaf were women or girls1 with girls representing #c out of every #d child trafficking victims2 ,whereas1 according to ,,unicef-- 7#a7 approximately #a_/d of girls between the ages of #ae and #ai are victims of physical violence2 7#b7 approximately #ae1jjj1jjj girls between the ages of #ae and #ai have experienced rape or other forced sexual acts2 and 7#c7 an estimated #a in #c women around the world has experienced some form of physical or sexual violence2 ,whereas1 according to the #bjah report of the ,united ,nations ,office on ,drugs and ,crime entitled ,global ,report on ,trafficking in ,persons1 #gb percent of all detected trafficking victims are women or girls2 ,whereas1 on ,august #aj1 #bjab1 the ,united ,states ,government launched a strategy entitled ,united ,states ,strategy to ,prevent and ,respond to ,gender-,based ,violence ,globally1 which is the first interagency strategy that-- 7#a7 addresses gender-based violence around the world2 7#b7 advances the rights and status of women and girls2 7#c7 promotes gender equality in ,united ,states foreign policy2 and 7#d7 works to bring about a world in which all individuals can pursue their aspirations without the threat of violence2 ,whereas1 in ,june #bjaf1 the ,department of ,state released an update to that strategy1 underscoring that preventing and responding to gender-based violence is a cornerstone of the ,u4,s4 ,government's commitment to advancing human rights and promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls2 ,whereas1 according to the ,united ,nations ,entity for ,gender ,equality and the ,empowerment of ,women 7commonly referred to as ,,un ,women71 peace negotiations are more likely to end in a peace agreement when women and women's groups play a meaningful role in the negotiation process2 ,whereas1 according to a study by the ,international ,peace ,institute1 a peace agreement is #ce percent more likely to last at least #ae years if women participate in the development of the peace agreement2 ,whereas1 on ,october #f1 #bjag1 the ,women1 ,peace1 and ,security ,act of #bjag 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #baeb;j et seq47 was enacted into law1 which includes requirements for a government-wide ,women1 ,peace1 and ,security ,strategy to promote and strengthen women's participation in peace negotiations and conflict prevention overseas1 enhanced training for relevant ,united ,states ,government personnel1 and follow-up evaluations of the effectiveness of the strategy2 ,whereas1 on ,october #be1 #bjah1 ,ambassador ,jonathan ,cohen1 ,united ,states ,deputy ,permanent ,representative to the ,united ,nations1 stated in the ,united ,nations ,security ,council ,annual ,open ,debate on ,women1 ,peace and ,security that-- 7#a7 promoting women's equal and meaningful inclusion and participation across efforts to restore security1 promote democracy and good governance1 and support economic development are not women's issues2 they are vital national security issues2 7#b7 our experience shows that women often have the best understanding of the needs of their communities2 7#c7 the ,united ,states believes strongly that countries with high rates of gender inequality are more likely to experience instability and deadly conflict ''' meaningful participation of women at all levels of security work1 including in uniform1 can help counteract this worrying trend2 7#d7 empowering women economically starts with ensuring girls have access to education ''' girls suffer most when there are attacks on schools or when combatants misuse schools to support combatant operations2 7#e7 if we hope to prevent conflicts and build lasting peace1 promote better governance1 and advance sustainable economic growth1 we must empower women as full and equal partners at every step2 and 7#f7 women are half the population ''' it's only right that they be full participants in the discussions and decisions that shape our present and those that will shape our futures2 ,whereas1 despite the achievements of individual female leaders-- 7#a7 women around the world remain vastly underrepresented in-- 7,a7 high-level positions2 and 7,b7 national and local legislatures and governments2 and 7#b7 according to the ,inter-,parliamentary ,union1 women account for only #bd4a percent of national parliamentarians and #ah4c percent of government ministers2 ,whereas the ability of women and girls to realize their full potential is critical to the ability of a country to achieve strong and lasting economic growth1 self-reliance1 and political and social stability2 ,whereas1 although the ,united ,nations ,millennium ,project reached the goal of achieving gender parity in primary education in most countries in #bjae1 more work remains to be done to achieve gender equality in primary and secondary education1 and particularly in secondary education worldwide as gender gaps persist and widen1 by addressing-- 7#a7 discriminatory practices2 7#b7 cultural norms2 7#c7 inadequate sanitation facilities2 7#d7 child1 early1 and forced marriage2 and 7#e7 other factors that favor boys or devalue girls' education2 ,whereas women around the world face a variety of constraints that severely limit their economic participation and productivity and remain underrepresented in the labor force2 ,whereas women's economic empowerment is inextricably linked to a myriad of other human rights that are essential to the ability of women to thrive as economic actors1 including-- 7#a7 living lives free of violence and exploitation2 7#b7 achieving the highest possible standard of health and well-being2 7#c7 enjoying full legal and human rights1 such as access to registration1 identification1 and citizenship documents1 and freedom of movement2 7#d7 benefitting from formal and informal education2 7#e7 benefitting from equal protection of and access to land and property rights2 7#f7 receiving access to fundamental labor rights2 7#g7 the implementation of policies to address disproportionate care burdens2 and 7#h7 receiving business and management skills and leadership opportunities2 ,whereas closing the global gender gap in labor markets could increase worldwide gross domestic product by as much as #bh1jjj1jjj1jjj1jjj by #bjbe2 ,whereas1 pursuant to section #c7;b7 of the ,women's ,entrepreneurship and ,economic ,empowerment ,act of #bjah 7,public ,law #aae-dbh71 it is the international development cooperation policy of the ,united ,states-- 7#a7 to reduce gender disparities with respect to economic1 social1 political1 educational1 and cultural resources1 wealth1 opportunities1 and services2 7#b7 to strive to eliminate gender-based violence and mitigate its harmful effects on individuals and communities including through efforts to develop standards and capacity to reduce gender-based violence in the workplace and other places where women work2 7#c7 to support activities that secure private property rights and land tenure for women in developing countries1 including-- 7,a7 legal frameworks that give women equal rights to own1 register1 use1 profit from1 and inherit land and property2 7,b7 improving legal literacy to enable women to exercise the rights described in subparagraph 7,a72 and 7,c7 improving the capacity of law enforcement and community leaders to enforce such rights2 7#d7 to increase the capability of women and girls to fully exercise their rights1 determine their life outcomes1 assume leadership roles1 and influence decision making in households1 communities1 and societies2 and 7#e7 to improve the access of women and girls to education1 particularly higher education opportunities in business1 finance1 and management1 in order to enhance financial literacy and business development1 management1 and strategy skills2 ,whereas1 according to the ,world ,health ,organization1 global maternal mortality decreased by approximately #dd percent between #aiij and #bjae1 yet approximately #hcj women and girls continue to die from preventable causes relating to pregnancy or childbirth each day1 and #ii percent of all maternal deaths occur in developing countries2 ,whereas the ,office of the ,united ,nations ,high ,commissioner for ,refugees reports that women and girls comprise approximately #a_/b of the #fh1ejj1jjj refugees and internally displaced or stateless individuals in the world2 ,whereas it is imperative-- 7#a7 to alleviate violence and discrimination against women and girls2 and 7#b7 to afford women every opportunity to be full and productive members of their communities2 and ,whereas ,march #h1 #bjai1 is recognized as ,international ,women's ,day1 a global day-- 7#a7 to celebrate the economic1 political1 and social achievements of women in the past1 present1 and future2 and 7#b7 to recognize the obstacles that women face in the struggle for equal rights and opportunities3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 supports the goals of ,international ,women's ,day2 7#b7 recognizes that the empowerment of women is inextricably linked to the potential of a country to generate-- 7,a7 economic growth2 7,b7 sustainable democracy2 and 7,c7 inclusive security2 7#c7 recognizes and honors individuals in the ,united ,states and around the world1 including women human rights defenders and civil society leaders1 who have worked throughout history to ensure that women are guaranteed equality and basic human rights2 7#d7 recognizes the unique cultural1 historical1 and religious differences throughout the world and urges the ,united ,states ,government to act with respect and understanding toward legitimate differences when promoting any policies2 7#e7 reaffirms the commitment-- 7,a7 to end discrimination and violence against women and girls2 7,b7 to ensure the safety1 health1 and welfare of women and girls2 7,c7 to pursue policies that guarantee the fundamental human rights of women and girls worldwide2 and 7,d7 to promote meaningful and significant participation of women in every aspect of society and community2 7#f7 supports sustainable1 measurable1 and global development that seeks to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls2 and 7#g7 encourages the people of the ,united ,states to observe ,international ,women's ,day with appropriate programs and activities4