Sen. Hutchison Discusses Bipartisan Amendment to Help Afghan Women and Girls

Despite the strides that have been made, Afghanistan has still been ranked the most dangerous country for women in the world.

Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison spoke on the Senate floor about the Afghan Women and Girls Security Promotion Act, a bipartisan amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that she has co-sponsored with Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA). Information about the legislation is below, and to watch video of her remarks, click here.

Afghan Women and Girls Security Promotion Act

The United States and our international partners are committed to supporting the rights, opportunities, and security of Afghan women and girls. Afghan women have made enormous progress since 2001, and have the potential to make major contributions to the political and economic future of their country. However, the transfer of security responsibility to Afghan forces threatens to once again restrict Afghan women's mobility and opportunities for participation in public life.

Deterioration in women's security can be an early indicator of worsening security conditions overall. In many parts of Afghanistan, women who are active in public life face serious threats to their personal safety, and girls have been the target of extremist violence simply for going to school. In order to minimize the potential negative impact of the transition process on Afghan women and girls, the United States must take steps to strengthen women's security in the near term and lay a foundation for Afghan women's full participation going forward. Making women's security a priority during the transition period will go a long way toward achieving our overall goal of a secure and stable Afghanistan for the future.

The Afghan Women and Girls Security Promotion Act would require the Department of Defense and State Department to produce a three-part plan to promote the security of Afghan women and girls during the transition process.

Part One: Monitoring and responding to changes in women's security. The bill would require the collection of data on women's mobility and security and the inclusion of that data in decisions about an area's readiness to proceed through the transition process. In cases of actual or potential deterioration in women's security conditions, the bill would require the DOD, working with Afghan, coalition and U.S. government partners, to take concrete action to support women's rights and security.

Part Two: Improving gender sensitivity and responsiveness among Afghan National Security Forces personnel. The bill would require that ANSF personnel undergo training related to the human rights of women and girls, and that current training curricula and methods be assessed for quality and impact. It would also strengthen enforcement and accountability mechanisms for ANSF personnel who violate codes of conduct related to the human rights of women and girls.

Part Three: Increasing recruitment and retention of women in the Afghan National Security Forces. The bill would require a stronger focus on increasing the number of women serving in the ANSF through reducing physical and cultural barriers to women's participation and working with ANSF leaders to increase awareness of the unique contributions women can make to ANSF missions and goals.

Report: The Department of Defense and State Department would also be required to include an assessment of actions taken to implement the plan and its results in its semi-annual reports to Congress on progress toward security and stability in Afghanistan.