Home > 106th Congressional Bills > H.R. 5534 (ih) Providing that State and local laws prohibiting or otherwise restricting economic activity with foreign countries are null and void. [Introduced in House] ...H.R. 5534 (ih) Providing that State and local laws prohibiting or otherwise restricting economic activity with foreign countries are null and void. [Introduced in House] ...
106th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5533
To increase the United States financial and programmatic contributions
to advancing the status of women and girls in low-income countries
around the world, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 24, 2000
Mrs. Morella (for herself, Mrs. Lowey, Mr. Porter, Ms. Millender-
McDonald, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Ms. Kilpatrick, Mrs. Maloney
of New York, Ms. Norton, Mr. Pomeroy, and Ms. Woolsey) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on International
Relations, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To increase the United States financial and programmatic contributions
to advancing the status of women and girls in low-income countries
around the world, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Global Action and
Investments for New Success for Women and Girls Act of 2000'' or
``GAINS Act of 2000''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
TITLE I--INTEGRATION OF WOMEN INTO NATIONAL ECONOMIES OF DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES
Sec. 101. Findings.
Sec. 102. Requirement to integrate women into national economies of
developing countries.
Sec. 103. Annual report.
Sec. 104. Authorization of appropriations for Office of Women in
Development (WID).
Sec. 105. United States contribution to the United Nations Development
Fund for Women (UNIFEM).
TITLE II--IMPACT OF TRADE AGREEMENTS ON WOMEN
Sec. 201. Findings.
Sec. 202. Advisory Committee for Trade, Gender, and Development Policy.
Sec. 203. Advisory Committee on Trade Policy.
Sec. 204. Review of United States trade agreements.
Sec. 205. Assessment of unremunerated work.
TITLE III--ENSURING OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Sec. 301. Investing in women's skills and knowledge.
Sec. 302. Microenterprise development grant assistance.
Sec. 303. Microfinance loan facility.
Sec. 304. Report relating to future development of microfinance
institutions.
TITLE IV--PROMOTION OF HEALTH OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES
Sec. 401. Family planning and reproductive health and rights.
Sec. 402. Maternal health programs.
Sec. 403. Prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.
Sec. 404. Prevention and treatment of tuberculosis.
Sec. 405. Health of children.
TITLE V--HUMAN RIGHTS OF WOMEN
Sec. 501. Assistance to eliminate discrimination against women.
Sec. 502. Prevention of trafficking in women and children.
Sec. 503. Ratification of Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Economic globalization is leaving the world's poorest
women, girls, and communities behind. Women and their children
make up more than 70 percent of the 1,300,000,000 poorest
people today. United States international economic policies,
particularly in the areas of trade liberalization and debt
relief for developing countries, should help create a positive
environment for women's economic empowerment and gender
equality.
(2) As the complexity of the global economy increases, so
too does the important role of women. Women comprise
approximately 75 percent of workers in the ``shadow'', or
informal economy, and constitute an ever-greater share of the
workforce in developing countries. Many studies have proven
that women's earnings are directly invested in the education,
health, and welfare of their children.
(3) The United States has not taken adequate steps to
implement its commitments made at the United Nations Fourth
World Conference on Women in its foreign policy and
international assistance programs. For example, the United
States has not implemented Strategic Objective A1 of the
Platform for Action, ``[to] [r]eview, adopt, and maintain
macroeconomic policies and development strategies that address
the needs and efforts of women in poverty'', nor has it
implemented strategic objective K2 of the Platform for Action,
``[to] [i]ntegrate gender concerns and perspectives in policies
and programmes for sustainable development''.
(4) No one sectoral intervention is sufficient to create
the environment in which women and girls can thrive
economically and socially. Investments are necessary in
multiple areas, including education and training, health care
(including access to safe and effective family planning and
reproductive health services, maternal health care, and
children's health), HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment,
tuberculosis treatment, microcredit, human rights, violence
prevention, and anti-trafficking.
TITLE I--INTEGRATION OF WOMEN INTO NATIONAL ECONOMIES OF DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES
SEC. 101. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) For nearly three decades, the United States has been a
leader in creating and supporting bilateral and multilateral
women in development policies and programs. In 1974, the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID) established
the Office of Women in Development (WID). This Office has
served as a focal point for increasing the effectiveness of
United States development efforts by taking gender issues into
account throughout all phases of development-planning,
implementation, and evaluation.
(2) Gender equality is a core development issue that
enhances United States global interests. Comprehensive policies
and programs of the Office of Women in Development reflect the
reality that women around the world play critical roles in
economic growth and development, and their contributions
reverberate from the global economy all the way down to the
poorest households. Investments in women's education, economic
opportunities, political participation, and health care yield
high returns for women, their families, and their communities.
SEC. 102. REQUIREMENT TO INTEGRATE WOMEN INTO NATIONAL ECONOMIES OF
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.
(a) Part II of Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.--Section 113(a) of
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151k(a)) is amended by
inserting after ``this part'' the following: `` and part II of this Act
(including chapter 4 of such part)''.
(b) Support for East European Democracy (SEED) Act of 1989.--
(1) In general.--The Support for East European Democracy
(SEED) Act of 1989 (22 U.S.C. 5401 et seq.) is amended by
inserting after section 3 the following:
``SEC. 4. INTEGRATING WOMEN INTO NATIONAL ECONOMIES.
``In recognition of the fact that women in developing countries
play a significant role in economic production, family support, and the
overall development process of the national economies of such
countries, this Act shall be administered so as to give particular
attention to those programs, projects, and activities which tend to
integrate women into the national economies of developing countries,
thus improving their status and assisting the total development
effort.''.
(2) Conforming amendment.--The table of contents of such
Act (22 U.S.C. 5401(a) note) is amended by inserting after the
item relating to section 3 the following:
Sec. 4. Integrating women into national economies.
(c) Public Law 480.--The Agricultural Trade Development and
Assistance Act of 1954 (7 U.S.C. 1691 et seq.) is amended by inserting
after section 3 the following:
``SEC. 4. INTEGRATING WOMEN INTO NATIONAL ECONOMIES.
``In recognition of the fact that women in developing countries
play a significant role in economic production, family support, and the
overall development process of the national economies of such
countries, this Act shall be administered so as to give particular
attention to those programs, projects, and activities which tend to
integrate women into the national economies of developing countries,
thus improving their status and assisting the total development
effort.''.
SEC. 103. ANNUAL REPORT.
The Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development shall prepare and submit to the Congress an annual report
on the extent to which the requirements contained in section 113(a) of
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, section 4 of the Support for East
European Democracy (SEED) Act of 1989, and section 4 of the
Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 (each as
added by section 102 of this Act) are being carried out.
SEC. 104. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR OFFICE OF WOMEN IN
DEVELOPMENT (WID).
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator of the
United States Agency for International Development $15,000,000 for
fiscal year 2001 and each subsequent fiscal year for programs,
projects, and activities of the Office of Women in Development of such
Agency.
SEC. 105. UNITED STATES CONTRIBUTION TO THE UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT
FUND FOR WOMEN (UNIFEM).
(a) In General.--The President is authorized to make a voluntary
contribution on a grant basis to the United Nations Development Fund
for Women (UNIFEM).
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the President $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2001 to carry
out subsection (a).
TITLE II--IMPACT OF TRADE AGREEMENTS ON WOMEN
SEC. 201. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) At a time of unparalleled global economic growth, the
majority of women are being left behind. According to the
United Nations Development Program, globalization has brought
enormous wealth to some, but has also increased economic
inequality within and between nations.
(2)(A) Women contribute to and are affected by trade as
workers, businesswomen, farmers, producers, and consumers.
(B) As workers, women comprise between 70-90 percent of the
labor force in the Export-Processing Zones (EPZs) assembling
garments, textiles, or electronics for export abroad.
(C) Women own between one-fourth and one-third of all
businesses worldwide and 39 percent of such businesses are
involved in international trade.
(D) Women farmers accounted for 62 percent of total female
employment in low-income countries in 1990.
(E) Women handicraft producers who make and sell their
textiles, jewelry, and ceramics locally and globally comprise
70 percent of craft-workers in Latin America.
(F) As consumers, women decide what to buy (or obtain) to
provide their family with food, water, clothes, and shelter.
(3)(A) United States trade policy and development policy
should be linked with the goal of improving women's social and
economic status.
(B) Enhancing women's status not only improves individual
lives, but also eliminates market inefficiencies and leads to
greater economic growth and trade.
(C) The United States should ensure that its development
policies and trade policies contribute to widespread,
equitable, and sustainable economic growth for all and
incorporate a sensitivity to the needs of women around the
world.
SEC. 202. ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR TRADE, GENDER, AND DEVELOPMENT POLICY.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the United States Trade Representative shall
establish within the Office of the United States Trade Representative
an Advisory Committee for Trade, Gender, and Development Policy
(hereafter in this section referred to as the ``Advisory Committee'').
(b) Membership.--The Advisory Committee shall be composed of
members, appointed by the Trade Representative, who shall be
representatives from women's organizations, private and voluntary
organizations, the Office of the United States Trade Representative,
the Department of Labor, and the United States Agency for International
Development.
(c) Duties.--The Advisory Committee, in conjunction with the
entities described in section 204--
(1) shall assess the impact of all current and future
United States bilateral and multilateral trade agreements on
women in accordance with such section; and
(2) shall make recommendations to the Trade Representative
based upon assessments made pursuant to paragraph (1).
SEC. 203. ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON TRADE POLICY.
(a) Appointment of 2 Additional Members.--Not later than 180 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the United States Trade
Representative shall appoint 2 additional members to the Advisory
Committee on Trade Policy of the Office of the United States Trade
Representative (hereafter in this section referred to as the ``Advisory
Committee'').
(b) Qualifications.--Of the members of the Advisory Committee
appointed pursuant to subsection (a)--
(1) 1 shall have expertise in gender issues; and
(2) 1 shall have expertise in international development
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