Speech #1030036490

These duties would include pressuring governments that engage in violence against women or systematic discrimination. raising visibility of genderbased persecution and violence in multilateral forums. and seeking to assure that U.S. trade representatives conduct inquiries and take steps to prevent countries from receiving trade benefits where governments fail to address human rights abuses against women. The advocate would also work to secure funding for programs to meet the needs of women victims of human rights abuses. and work to assure ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. My second bill establishes explicit U.S. policy on Integrating the resources and needs of refugee women and children into all aspects of refugee programming to ensure equitable protection and assistance activities. Women and children constitute at least 80 percent of refugees and the internally displaced world population. however. their safety and particular needs are rarely met. They are the first victims of the conflicts they are trying to escape and the most vulnerable once displaced. As noncombatants. they must stop being used as human shields. spoils of war. and preyed upon by guards and others at border posts and refugee camps. According to a report soon to be released by the General Accounting Office [GAO]. the State Department must continue pressuring the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR] to improve the extremely poor conditions for women in refugee camps which include severe domestic violence and abuse of women. and in some cases the denial of food to unaccompanied women. Additionally. the GAO found that the UNHCR and nongovernmental voluntary organizations providing servIces in the camps showed a severe lack of understanding of and appreciation for genderrelated issues. In 1991. UNHCR developed comprehensive guidelines on the protection of refugee women. The guidelines cover traditional protection concerns. such as the determination of refugee status and the provision of physical security. and outline various measures that can be taken to improve the protection of refugee women. They also present approaches for helping women who have had their rights violated. and outline steps to ameliorate the protection of women and report upon protection problems that do arise. My legislation. the Refugee Women and Children Protection Act of 1993. would require the U.S. Governments refugee assistance programs to address the protection and provision of basic needs of refugee women and children. The bill directs the Secretary of State to: Ensure full involvement of women refugees In the planning and implementation of the delivery of refugee services and assistance. incorporation of maternal and child health needs into health services. education of refugee women and children. data collection that enumerates age and gender. genderspecific training for program staff of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and nongovernmental voluntary organizations. and the recruitment and hiring of women professionals in the international humanitarian field. Finally. my bill calls on the President to enter into bilateral and multilateral negotiations to encourage other governments that provide refugee assistance to adopt policies designed to implement the UNHCRs 1991 "Guidelines on the Protection of Refugee Women."