[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1210 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1210
Affirming the role of the United States in eliminating sexual violence
in conflict.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 28, 2022
Ms. Meng (for herself, Mr. Waltz, Ms. Lois Frankel of Florida, Ms.
Houlahan, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Titus,
Mr. Cicilline, Ms. Norton, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Johnson of
Georgia, Ms. Jacobs of California, Ms. Speier, and Ms. Jackson Lee)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Affirming the role of the United States in eliminating sexual violence
in conflict.
Whereas sexual violence has been used as a weapon of war throughout history,
whether to subjugate, terrorize, or ethnically cleanse populations;
Whereas the term ``conflict-related sexual violence'' refers to rape, sexual
slavery, forced prostitution, forced abortion, enforced sterilization,
forced marriage, and any other form of sexual violence that is directly
or indirectly linked to a conflict;
Whereas conflict-related sexual violence directly correlates with the resurgence
of hostilities, militarization, the proliferation of small arms and
light weapons, mass population displacement, the rise of violent
extremism, the collapse of the rule of law and social support systems;
Whereas conflict-related sexual violence has been considered a war crime, crime
against humanity, and an act of genocide and torture under international
jurisprudence;
Whereas despite the numerous international resolutions, conventions, and
treaties, sexual violence continues to occur in many conflicts across
the world with almost total impunity;
Whereas, in 2021, 3,293 verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence were
committed, 800 more than in 2020, representing a significant increase;
Whereas substantial gaps remain in the areas of prevention, accountability, and
compliance;
Whereas many prescribed prevention measures are inadequately implemented and
enforced;
Whereas when perpetrators go unpunished, they are emboldened to strike again,
perpetuating and encouraging vicious cycles of sexual violence even when
a country emerges from conflict;
Whereas rendering justice to the victims is a precondition for reconciliation
and peace to take hold;
Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic led to a global spike in gender-based violence and
increased challenges to accessing services for survivors of conflict-
related sexual violence;
Whereas the lockdowns, curfews, quarantines, and pandemic-related mobility
restrictions compounded the chronic underreporting of conflict-related
sexual violence and further complicated the pursuit of justice and
redress as the work of investigators, judges, prosecutors, and lawyers
was impacted;
Whereas women and girls in congested refugee and displacement settings were
among the hardest hit by the intersecting crises of COVID-19 and
conflict, facing elevated risks of sexual violence, child marriage,
exploitation, and trafficking, a situation that was exacerbated by an
overall decline in humanitarian reach and resources;
Whereas an individual's gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, socioeconomic
status, or displacement status may increase their vulnerability to
becoming a victim of conflict-related sexual violence;
Whereas harmful cultural and social norms related to honor, shame, victim
blaming, and gender discrimination persist as both a root cause of
sexual violence and an obstacle to effective prevention and response
efforts;
Whereas conflict-related sexual violence is also targeted at men and boys;
Whereas a staggering number of children living in conflict areas are living near
armed groups that perpetrate sexual violence;
Whereas, since 2006, more than 20,000 cases of conflict-related sexual violence
were perpetrated against children;
Whereas sexual violence against children can be especially damaging to their
physical and mental health, both in the near- and long-term, and can
prevent them from reaching their full potential;
Whereas access to safe and effective emergency health care, clinics and
shelters, reporting mechanisms, justice, and redress for victims are
essential to eliminating sexual violence in times of conflict;
Whereas the United States recognizes that successfully eliminating conflict-
related sexual violence requires meaningful inclusion of women in peace
and security processes;
Whereas the United States continues to serve as a global leader in efforts to
promote and elevate the women's participation in economic, civic, and
security decisionmaking and peace processes; and
Whereas, in 2015, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed June 19 of each
year the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in
Conflict to raise awareness of the need to put an end to conflict-
related sexual violence, to honor the victims and survivors, and to pay
tribute to all those who have devoted their lives to standing up for the
eradication of these crimes: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) affirms the leadership and commitment of the United
States Government in efforts to prevent conflict-related sexual
violence to support and protect survivors of, conflict-related
sexual violence;
(2) calls on the United States to ensure mechanisms to hold
perpetrators of sexual violence accountable are included in
peacebuilding resolutions, and that women participate fully in
such peace processes in accordance with the Women, Peace, and
Security Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-68);
(3) calls on the Secretary of State and the Administrator
of the United States Agency for International Development to
commit to strengthening legal reforms and justice for all
conflict-related sexual violence survivors, including as part
of transitional justice processes, while also advocating for
women's safe and meaningful participation in such processes;
(4) recognizes that no peace agreement can be comprehensive
if the weapon of conflict-related sexual violence continues
unchecked; and
(5) stands in solidarity with the survivors of conflict-
related sexual violence, and those working to support them, to
ensure they are not forgotten.
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