III
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION S. RES. 106
Supporting the goals of International Women’s Day.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
MARCH5, 2025
Mrs. S
HAHEEN(for herself and Ms. COLLINS) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
RESOLUTION
Supporting the goals of International Women’s Day.
Whereas, as of March 2025, there are approximately
4,100,000,000 women and girls in the world, making up
1
⁄2of 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 com-
munities;
(3) contribute substantially to food security, eco-
nomic growth, the prevention and resolution of conflict,
and the sustainability of peace and stability;
(4) are affected in different and often dispropor-
tionate ways by global, country, and community cir-
cumstances, including economic downturns, global health
concerns, conflict, and migration; and
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(5) must have meaningful protections and opportuni-
ties to more fully participate in and lead the political, so-
cial, and economic lives of their communities and coun-
tries;
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 Secu-
rity Act of 2017 (Public Law 115–68; 131 Stat. 1202)
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, en-
hanced training for relevant United States Government
personnel, and follow-up evaluations of the effectiveness
of the strategy;
Whereas the United States Strategy and National Action
Plan on Women, Peace and Security, dated October
2023, recognizes that—
(1) the ‘‘implementation of the [Women, Peace, and
Security] agenda is both a moral and a strategic impera-
tive for U.S. foreign policy and national security’’, reit-
erating that ‘‘the status of women and the stability of na-
tions are inextricably linked’’;
(2) the challenges posed to the United States and
the global community cannot be solved without address-
ing the inequities faced by
1
⁄2of the world’s population;
and
(3) the United States must ‘‘eliminate barriers to
women’s meaningful participation . . . in peace and secu-
rity decision-making processes’’ in order to ‘‘achieve and
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safeguard our national security priorities’’ and achieve
‘‘sustainable peace, international security, and economic
stability’’;
Whereas, according to the United Nations Entity for Gender
Equality and the Empowerment of Women (commonly re-
ferred 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 In-
stitute, a peace agreement is 35 percent more likely to
last at least 15 years if women participate in the develop-
ment of the peace agreement;
Whereas, every year, approximately 12,000,000 girls are mar-
ried before they reach the age of 18, which means that,
on average—
(1) nearly 33,000 girls are married every day; or
(2) nearly 28 girls are married every minute;
Whereas, despite global progress, it is predicted that by 2030
more than 100,000,000 girls will marry before reaching
the age of 18, and approximately 2,400,000 girls who are
married before reaching the age of 18 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 high-
est rates of child marriage are experiencing humanitarian
crises;
Whereas, on August 15, 2021, the Taliban entered Kabul,
Afghanistan, and toppled the elected government of the
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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 univer-
sity;
(2) severely 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 and closing public spaces for women, including
parks, salons, and gyms;
(5) closing domestic abuse shelters, sometimes forc-
ing residents to return to their abusive families;
(6) preventing women aid workers from operating in
Afghanistan, thus restricting operations in support of hu-
manitarian 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 Nations Children’s Fund
(commonly referred to as ‘‘UNICEF’’)—
(1) globally, 1 in 5 girls between the ages of 15 and
19 have been victims of some form of physical violence;
(2) approximately 370,000,000 girls and young
women worldwide, about 1 in 8, have experienced forced
sexual acts before the age of 18; and
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(3) an estimated 1 in 3 women around the world
have experienced some form of physical or sexual vio-
lence;
Whereas the overall level of violence against women is a bet-
ter predictor of the peacefulness of a country, the compli-
ance 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;
Whereas women around the world remain vastly underrep-
resented in government positions, as women account for
only 26.9 percent of national parliamentarians and 23.3
percent of government ministers;
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 growth, self-reliance, and po-
litical and social stability;
Whereas, according to the United Nations Educational, Sci-
entific and Cultural Organization—
(1) approximately 122,000,000 girls between the
ages of 6 and 17 remain out of school;
(2) girls living in countries affected by conflict are
2.5 times more likely to be out of primary school than
boys;
(3) girls are twice as likely as boys to never set foot
in a classroom; and
(4) up to 30 percent of girls who drop out of school
do so because of adolescent pregnancy or child marriage;
Whereas women around the world face a variety of con-
straints that severely limit their economic participation
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and productivity and remain underrepresented in the
labor force;
Whereas, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations—
(1) agriculture and food systems are a major source
of livelihoods, particularly for rural women;
(2) wage and productivity gaps persist in agriculture
and food systems, despite the crucial role that women
play in those sectors;
(3) the work of women in agriculture and food sys-
tems is more likely than that of men to be part-time, ir-
regular, informal, vulnerable, labor-intensive, and low-
skilled;
(4) in countries reporting on Sustainable Develop-
ment Goal 5.a.1, more men than women are owners or
have rights to agricultural land; and
(5) the empowerment of women can have important
benefits for agricultural productivity, nutrition, and food
security;
Whereas the economic empowerment of women is inextricably
linked to a myriad of other internationally recognized
human rights that are essential to the ability of women
to thrive as economic actors, including—
(1) living lives free of violence and exploitation;
(2) achieving the highest possible standard of health
and well-being;
(3) enjoying full legal and human rights, such as ac-
cess to registration, identification, and citizenship docu-
ments, and freedom of movement;
(4) access to formal and informal education;
(5) access to, and equal protection under, land and
property rights;
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(6) access to fundamental labor rights;
(7) the implementation of policies to address dis-
proportionate care burdens; and
(8) receiving business and management skills and
leadership opportunities;
Whereas, according to the World Health Organization, global
maternal mortality decreased by approximately 34 per-
cent from 2000 to 2020, yet approximately 800 women
and girls continue to die from preventable causes relating
to pregnancy or childbirth each day, and 95 percent of
all maternal deaths occur in developing countries, putting
the global community off-track to meeting Sustainable
Development Goal 3.1 for reducing maternal deaths;
Whereas the Russian invasion of Ukraine that began on Feb-
ruary 24, 2022, has resulted in a disproportionate num-
ber of women and children seeking safety outside of
Ukraine;
Whereas those women and girls, like women and girls in all
humanitarian emergencies, including those subject to
forced displacement, face increased and exacerbated
vulnerabilities to—
(1) gender-based violence, including rape, child mar-
riage, domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual
exploitation and assault;
(2) disruptions in education and livelihood;
(3) lack of access to health services; and
(4) food insecurity and malnutrition;
Whereas malnutrition poses a variety of threats to women
and girls specifically, as malnutrition can weaken their
immune systems, making them more susceptible to infec-
tions, and affects their capacity to survive childbirth, and
children born of malnourished women and girls are more
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likely to have cognitive impairments and higher risk of
disease throughout their lives;
Whereas it is imperative—
(1) to alleviate violence and discrimination against
women and girls; and
(2) to afford women and girls every opportunity to
be equal members of their communities; and
Whereas March 8, 2025, is recognized as International Wom-
en’s Day, a global day—
(1) to celebrate the economic, political, and social
achievements of women in the past, present, and future;
and
(2) to recognize the obstacles that women face in the
struggle for equal rights and opportunities: Now, there-
fore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate— 1
(1) supports the goals of International Women’s 2
Day; 3
(2) recognizes that the fundamental human 4
rights of women and girls have intrinsic value that 5
affect the quality of life of women and girls; 6
(3) recognizes that the empowerment of women 7
and girls is inextricably linked to the potential of a 8
country to generate— 9
(A) economic growth and self-reliance; 10
(B) sustainable peace and democracy; and 11
(C) inclusive security; 12
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(4) recognizes and honors individuals in the 1
United States and around the world, including 2
women human rights defenders, activists, and civil 3
society leaders, who have worked throughout history 4
to ensure that women and girls are guaranteed 5
equality and fundamental human rights; 6
(5) applauds the women around the world who 7
stand against oppression in any form and fight for 8
a better future, especially in Ukraine, Iran, and Af-9
ghanistan; 10
(6) recognizes the unique cultural, historical, 11
and religious differences throughout the world and 12
urges the United States Government to act with re-13
spect and understanding toward legitimate dif-14
ferences when promoting any policies; 15
(7) reaffirms the commitment— 16
(A) to end discrimination and violence 17
against women and girls; 18
(B) to ensure the safety, health, and wel-19
fare of women and girls; 20
(C) to pursue policies that guarantee the 21
fundamental human rights of women and girls 22
worldwide; and 23
(D) to promote meaningful and significant 24
participation of women in every aspect of soci-25
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ety and community, including conflict preven-1
tion, protection, peacemaking, and 2
peacebuilding; 3
(8) supports sustainable, measurable, and glob-4
al development that seeks to achieve gender equality 5
and the empowerment of women and girls; and 6
(9) encourages the people of the United States 7
to observe International Women’s Day with appro-8
priate programs and activities. 9
Æ
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