A resolution denouncing the practices of female genital mutilation, domestic violence, "honor" killings, acid burnings, dowry deaths, and other gender-based persecutions, and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that participation, protection, recognition, and equality of women is crucial to achieving a just, moral and peaceful society.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 32) denouncing the practices of female genital mutilation, domestic violence, ``honor'' killings, acid burning, dowry deaths, and other gender-based persecutions and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that participation, protection, recognition, and independence of women is crucial to achieving a just, moral, and honorable society, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 32, denouncing the practices of female genital mutilation, domestic violence, ``honor'' killings, acid burning, dowry deaths, and other gender-based persecutions and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the participation, protection, recognition, and independence of women is crucial to achieving a just, moral, and honorable society.

Allow me to thank Chairman Lantos and Ranking Member Ileana Ros- Lehtinen for working with my staff and working collaboratively to bring forward this legislation that really is a statement of our committee.

Let me also thank the staff who worked on this bill. The full committee: Kristin Wells, Pearl-Alice Marsh, Joan Condon and Yleem Poblete. I also thank the members of my staff: Yohannes Tsehai, Nina Besser and Samia Elshakie.

It is very important as we move forward in making this statement that we recognize that we are attempting to save lives.

May I share with my colleagues the loneliness of being a woman anywhere in the world where they're not protected against brutality, dowry killings, honor killings, and that they have no refuge and no opportunity to address their grievances in their own Nation.

Might I show you some of the dastardly pictures, horrific that they are, showing how women are burned, how women are scarred, and how women are beaten all over the world.

It is time for the United States to join in making a very pronounced statement because women are lonely, and they need the statement or the support of women and this Congress.

I would like to thank the chairman of the Foreign Affairs, as I indicated, my good friend and colleague, Congressman Lantos, again, and as well the ranking member.

In recent decades, women have made crucial strides toward equality. Our daughters now have a wide range of options and opportunities, and they can look forward to a life full of promise. Despite this important progress, women and girls throughout the world, including here in our own Nation, continue to face gender-based persecutions.

In many parts of the world, a culture of violence and discrimination persists, denying women rights equal to those of men, and legitimizing the exploitation of women for personal gratification, political purposes and financial gain. My legislation strongly denounces such practices and reaffirms the societal values of the independence of women.

Human rights violations against women and girls know no borders. They take place throughout the world on six continents. Statistics are shocking. In North Africa, 6,000 women are genitally mutilated each day. Over 7,000 women in India are killed by their families and in-laws in disputes over dowries annually. A woman in Pakistan was raped by a person in the military, and no one was willing to address her grievances.

More than 15,000 women will be sold as sexual slaves in China this year. Two hundred women in Bangladesh are horribly disfigured when their spurned husbands or suitors burn them with acid each year, according to the Bangladesho Prime Minister.

The 2002 Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe estimates that the leading cause of death worldwide among women ages 14 to 44 is the violence they are subjected to in their own homes. In the Russian Federation alone, every day 36,000 women are beaten by their husbands or partners. Even here in the United States, a woman is raped every six minutes, and a woman is battered every 15 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, these practices are contrary to international law. In 1998, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda issued a groundbreaking verdict with the successful prosecution of rape as a tool of genocide. Further prosecutions under the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia solidified rape as a crime of war and as the basis for prosecution for torture. Despite these ever- evolving legal traditions, the rape of women continues to be used as an instrument of armed conflict in the 21st century.

I'm very proud of the Foreign Affairs Committee because we work in a bipartisan manner, and therefore, this legislation was able to come out of the committee in a bipartisan manner. And so, as we look to be of help, this is an important forward step in acknowledging the brutality towards women around the world.

In addition to rape, another persistent form of gender-based persecution is female genital mutilation. Despite existing laws forbidding this practice, this tradition is often embedded

in cultural, religious and nonmedical practices, making it more difficult to overcome. Such traditions legitimize the exploitation of women for personal gratification and political gain.

The situation faced by women worldwide is intricately tied to a number of other issues that we have addressed in recent months in the committee. Women and children are particularly affected by extreme poverty, which exacerbates the obstacles they face. Nearly 70 percent of those living in abject poverty are women, according to the United Nations. And while women perform two-thirds of the world's work, they earn less than 5 percent of all income, and they own less than 1 percent of all property. The United Nations estimates that three of every four illiterate adults in the world are women, and two-thirds of children denied primary education are girls.

I ask my colleagues to support H. Res. 32.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 32, denouncing the practices of female genital mutilation, domestic violence, ``honor'' killings, acid burning, dowry deaths, and other gender-based persecutions, and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the participation, protection, recognition, and independence of women is crucial to achieving a just, moral, and honorable society.

I would like to thank the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, my good friend and colleague Congressman Lantos, for his support and his leadership on this important issue. I have been pleased to work with the Committee on this legislation, and I would to thank the Committee staff for their work on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, in recent decades, women have made crucial strides toward equality. Our daughters now have a wide range of options and opportunities, and they can look forward to a life full of promise. Despite this important progress, women and girls throughout the world, including here in our own nation, continue to face gender-based persecutions. In many parts of the world, a culture of violence and discrimination persists, denying women rights equal to those of men, and legitimizing the exploitation of women for personal gratification, political purposes and financial gain. My legislation strongly denounces such practices, and reaffirms the societal value of the independence of women.

Human rights violations against women and girls know no borders. They take place throughout the world, on six continents. The statistics are shocking. In North Africa, 6,000 women are genitally mutilated each day. Over 7,000 women in India are killed by their families and in-laws in disputes over dowries annually. More than 15,000 women will be sold as sexual slaves in China this year. 200 women in Bangladesh are horribly disfigured when their spurned husbands or suitors burn them with acids each year, according to former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The 2002 Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe estimates that the leading cause of death worldwide among women ages 14-44 is the violence they are subjected to in their own homes. In the Russian Federation alone, every day 36,000 women are beaten by their husbands or partners. Even here, in United States, a woman is raped every six minutes, and a woman is battered every 15 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, these practices are contrary to international law. In 1998, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) issued a groundbreaking verdict with the successful prosecution of rape as a tool of genocide. Further prosecutions under the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) solidified rape as a crime of war and as the basis for prosecution for torture. Despite these ever evolving legal traditions, the rape of women continues to be used as an instrument of armed conflict in the 21st century.

In addition to rape, another persistent form of gender-based persecution is female genital mutilation. Despite existing laws forbidding this practice, this tradition is often embedded in cultural, religious, and non-medical practices, making it more difficult to overcome. Such traditions legitimize the exploitation of women for personal gratification and political gain.

The situation faced by women worldwide is intricately tied to a number of other issues that we have addressed in recent months in this Committee. Women and children are particularly affected by extreme poverty, which exacerbates the obstacles they face. Nearly 70 percent of those living in abject poverty are women, according to the United Nations, and, while women perform 2/3 of the world's work, they earn less than 5 percent of all income, and they own less than 1 percent of all property. The United Nations estimates that three out of every four illiterate adults in the world are women, and that two-thirds of children denied primary education are girls.

Mr. Speaker, democracy, political stability, and economic development are linked to the welfare of women and children. This Congress has announced its commitment to all three of these admirable goals, and I firmly believe that if we are truly dedicated to building and supporting stable, open, and prosperous societies throughout the world, we must work to eliminate these practices of serious persecution and discrimination.

Mr. Speaker, the time is long since passed for us to strongly declare that women are not chattel, should not be trafficked, nor sold for services, and must not be denied the right to own property. The fundamental rights to freedom of worship, expression, association, conscience and pursuit of happiness ought never to be threatened by violence, oppression, slavery, or manipulation.

My legislation denounces the barbaric practices of female genital mutilation, domestic violence, `honor' killings, acid burning, dowry deaths, and other gender-based persecutions. It demands the cessation of these barbaric practices and condemns the perpetrators. Regardless of religion, geography, or form of government, women should not be denied equal rights, which should be defended when their rights are abridged, challenged, or violated.

Mr. Speaker, Members of Congress, I strongly urge you to join me in supporting this extremely important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

I am prepared to close at this time.

Let me thank my very generous friend Mr. Bilirakis from Florida for expressing the negotiations that occurred in the Foreign Affairs Committee and the spirit in which we work in that committee by coming together in a bipartisan way to make such an important statement today.

In closing, I would like to indicate that democracy, political stability, and economic development are linked to the welfare of our women and children. This Congress has announced its commitment to all three of these admirable goals, and I firmly believe that if

we are truly dedicated to building and supporting stable, open and prosperous societies throughout the world, we must work to eliminate these practices of serious persecution and discrimination.

The distinguished gentleman from Florida has indicated that we're doing this together. The time has long since passed for us to strongly declare that women are not chattel, should not be trafficked, and not sold for services and must not be denied the right to own property. The fundamental rights to freedom of worship, expression, association, conscience and pursuit of happiness ought never to be threatened by violence, oppression, slavery or manipulation.

My legislation denounces the barbaric practices of female genital mutilation, domestic violence, ``honor'' killings, acid burning, dowry deaths, and other gender-based persecutions. It gives women hope around the world. It demands a cessation of these barbaric practices and condemns the perpetrators.

I'm delighted to be supported by Amnesty International; the United Nations Women's Fund; the CARE, Council on American-Islamic Relations, equal rights advocates; and NOW.

I'm also delighted to be able to have this Congress express that regardless of religion, geography or form of government, women should not be denied equal rights, should have the opportunity to be defended when their rights are abridged, challenged or violated.

So, in the spirit of protecting the women around the world from the violence that they experience and suffer every day from the trafficking and from the inhumane treatment, I ask my colleagues to enthusiastically support H. Res. 32.

Amnesty International USA commends Congresswoman Sheila

Jackson-Lee and the U.S. House of Representatives for

authoring and considering H. Res. 32 to denounce the

practices of female genital mutilation, domestic violence,

``honor'' killings, acid burning, dowry deaths and other

gender-based persecution and to urge participation,

protection, recognition and independence of women.

Violence against women is a human rights scandal. At least

one out of every three women has been beaten, coerced into

sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime. In Europe, domestic

violence is the major cause of death and disability for women

aged 16 to 44. In the United States, a woman is raped every 6

minutes; a woman is battered every 15 seconds.

Rape of women is widespread in armed conflicts such as in

Colombia and Darfur. Trafficking of women has become a global

phenomenon where victims are sexually exploited, forced into

labor and subjected to abuse.

Murders of women in Guatemala, Russia, India, and other

countries often go uninvestigated and unpunished. The

experience or threat of violence affects the lives of women

everywhere, cutting across boundaries of wealth, race and

culture. In the home and in the community, in times of war

and peace, women are beaten, raped, mutilated, and killed

with impunity.

The U.S. government should move forward in ratifying the

Treaty for the Rights of Women (CEDAW)--the most complete

international agreement on basic human rights for women. The

United States played an important role in drafting the

Treaty, which 185 nations have ratified as of October 2007.

As the leading superpower, U.S. ratification would lend

weight to the Treaty and provide valuable support to women

seeking reforms in countries around the world.

Amnesty International USA encourages members of the U.S.

House of Representatives to move quickly towards passage of

H. Res. 32 and encourages all members of the legislative body

to actively work to stop violence against women throughout

the world.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

I'm pleased to rise in support of H. Res. 32, which denounces violence against women and recognizes that women's rights are, indeed, human rights.

I also would like to thank Chairman Lantos and the sponsor of this resolution, my good friend and my chairwoman, Ms. Jackson-Lee, for agreeing to modify the introduced text such that it strikes all references to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. By striking these references and refocusing our attention on the challenges to human dignity that an alarming number of women are forced to endure around the world, H. Res. 32 is now a much stronger, bipartisan resolution which can be universally embraced.

H. Res. 32 recognizes that democracy, political stability, public health and economic development are linked to the welfare of women and children. Two-thirds of the world's work is performed by women, yet women still earn less than 5 percent of its income, own less than 1 percent of its property, and make up nearly 70 percent of the people living in poverty unfortunately.

The lack of legal standing of women in many societies makes them especially susceptible to poverty, exploitation, abuse and, inevitably, infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS.

Yet as women serve as the provider and educator for their families in many traditional societies, their exploitation threatens the prosperity of their entire family and community. As such, the resolution calls upon governments to address the entrenched gender inequalities which threaten development, as well as national security.

It also calls on governments to criminalize such atrocious practices as female genital mutilation, domestic violence, ``honor'' killings, acid burnings, dowry deaths, and other gender-based crimes.

This resolution does not seek to bestow upon women any special privilege. It simply recognizes the fact that no matter where one lives, and no matter what their race, religion or culture, we are all human beings who deserve the opportunity to live in dignity and free from oppression or abuse based solely on our gender.

I urge unanimous support of H. Res. 32.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I stand here today in support of House Resolution 32 the Denouncement to the Suppression of Women.

Thousands of women a year fall victim to societies that deem them unworthy and in turn suffer at the hands of discrimination and violence. We must recognize that this violence is a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between men and women and it must be eliminated. Too many women are continuously tortured, beaten, mutilated and assaulted by husbands, fathers, and complete strangers without hope for support or promise of a safe haven to run to.

Domestic violence is the major cause of death and disability for women aged 16 to 44, accounting for more death and ill-health than cancer or traffic accidents. More than 60 million women are ``missing'' from the world today as a result of sex-selective abortions and female infanticide. The World Health Organization has reported that up to 70 per cent of female murder victims are killed by their male partners.

As Americans, citizens striving to preserve human life and oppose the discrimination of any person, we must move to impair these malevolent occurrences in full force.

United, we must denounce these demeaning practices and fervently demand an end to this persecution and a commitment to preserving the rights of female populations all over the world. No longer can we stand silent while thousands of women fall victim to cultural prejudice and international trafficking. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

The preservation of female rights must be a priority to this the 110th Congress as we continue to work towards ensuring democratic ideals worldwide.

Madam Speaker, on October 9, 2007, and October 10, 2007, I missed rollcall votes because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted in the following manner: ``aye'' on House Resolution 32, rollcall No. 949; ``aye'' on final passage of H.R. 400, the War Profiteering Prevention Act, rollcall No. 950; ``nay'' on rollcall No. 951; ``nay'' on rollcall No. 952; ``nay'' on rollcall No. 953; ``nay'' on rollcall No. 954; ``aye'' on rollcall No. 955; ``nay'' on rollcall No. 956; ``aye'' on rollcall No. 957; ``aye'' on final passage of H.R. 2895, the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act, rollcall No. 958; ``aye'' on rollcall No. 959; and ``nay'' on final passage of H.R. 3056, the Tax Collection Responsibility Act, rollcall No. 960.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately yesterday, October 9, 2007, I was unable to cast my votes on H. Res. 32 and H.R. 400.

Had I been present for rollcall No. 949 on suspending the rules and passing H. Res. 32, denouncing the practices of female genital mutilation, domestic violence, ``honor killings,'' and other gender- based persecutions and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that participation, protection, recognition, and independence of women is crucial to achieving a just, moral and honorable society, I would have voted ``yea.''

Had I been present for rollcall No. 950 on suspending the rules and passing H.R. 400, War Profiteering Prevention Act, I would have voted ``yea.''