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Press Release

June 10, 2009

Contact: Aaron Hunter 202-225-2040

davispress@mail.house.gov

 

House Passes Amendment by Rep. Davis to Help Empower Women in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON - The House of Representatives today passed H.R. 2410, which reauthorizes funding for the U.S. State Department.  The final bill included an amendment offered by Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA) and her colleague Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL), which urges oversight in Afghanistan specifically for improving the rights of its female population.

The Davis-Grayson Amendment to H.R. 2410 will require the offices within the United States Government tasked with performing oversight of U.S. assistance in Afghanistan to include in their auditing and assessment process the impact U.S. development assistance has on the social, economic, and political empowerment of Afghan women.

“Unfortunately, the roles and experiences of women are not always considered in wartime, or during stabilization and reconstruction operations.” Davis said on the House floor.  “The kind of instabilities women in Afghanistan are submitted to has a direct and negative correlation to their ability to help stabilize their communities.”

The Davis-Grayson amendment acknowledges that the full and equal participation of women and girls in the Afghan civil society is essential to the development of a stable and democratic Afghanistan and urges the commitment of resources to advance their rights.  Currently, there are no such metrics in place, making it difficult for Congress to assess the effectiveness of U.S. assistance in support of girls and women in Afghanistan. 

Rep. Davis recently led a congressional trip to Kabul and Kandahar where she met with women from all walks of Afghan life. 

“What we came away with is that women in Afghanistan want the same things as women in America –the ability to care for their families, access to education and healthcare, and to feel safe and secure in their own country and their own homes,” said Davis. “Every conversation I have had with commanders there, including my recent trip, assures me that the kind of gender apartheid that is occurring in Afghanistan undermines our national security.”

The Davis-Grayson Amendment passed by a voice vote.

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