Updated December 14, 2021
Global Women’s Issues: Background and Selected U.S. Efforts
For several decades, Congress has considered or enacted
management, and resolution. (The council has since
legislation aimed at improving the rights and status of
adopted nine follow-up resolutions.)
women and girls worldwide. These efforts, which may
address a range of issues, including women’s health,
U.S. Policy
education, and security, are often grouped under the broad
U.S. efforts to address global women’s issues have shifted
policy umbrella of “global women’s issues.”
over time, often reflecting world events, domestic political
conditions, and the priorities of individual policymakers.
Background
During the past two decades, many Members of Congress
Many U.S. and international policymakers have
and the executive branch have increasingly recognized a
increasingly recognized gender inequality as a human rights
growing body of research linking gender equality to the
and development issue caused by long-standing unequal
overall stability, prosperity, and security of societies.
power relationships between men and women. This
imbalance is reflected in pervasive stereotypes, attitudes,
Selected Legislation and Trends. U.S. policymakers have
and behaviors that perpetuate a cycle of discrimination in
considered women’s issues from global, regional, and
many societies, with significant consequences for women’s
country-specific perspectives, ranging from issuing high-
socio-economic status and security. Often women do not
level policy statements to providing assistance to other
have equal decisionmaking power with men and cannot
governments, civil society, and international organizations.
independently make choices that affect their overall well-
Some have also sought to incorporate women’s issues into
being, including household decisions, marital status, health,
foreign policy on a broad level. In Congress, for example,
education, livelihood, and civic participation.
the “Percy Amendment,” enacted as part of the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-189), requires that foreign
These inequalities often negatively affect the rights and
assistance funds work to integrate women into the national
status of women in many parts of the world. In the global
economies of developing countries. More recently, since
workforce, women hold fewer paid positions and earn less
FY2014 State-Foreign Operations (SFOPS) Appropriations
for similar work than men. Many women also lack basic
Acts have required that funds from such acts promote
legal protections. For example, in over 70 countries women
gender equality in diplomatic and development efforts. (For
hold no property or inheritance rights, and in more than 40
FY2021, see Section 7059 of P.L. 116-260.)
countries women have no legal protection against domestic
violence. Globally, 60% of food insecure populations are
In the executive branch, successive Presidents have
women and girls. The emergence of Coronavirus Disease
supported different aspects of global women’s issues, in
2019 (COVID-19) has further exacerbated these issues;
some cases issuing executive orders or memoranda. Most
some experts suggest that recent gains in gender equality
recently, in March 2021 the Biden Administration issued an
may be lost due to the secondary impacts of the pandemic.
executive order creating the White House Gender Policy
Council to address gender issues in domestic and foreign
Selected International Efforts
policy. In October 2021, the Administration published a
Governments, including the United States, have sought to
National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality, which
address gender equality in international fora. For example
aims to elevate and promote gender issues in strategic
planning and budgeting and policy development at both
The United Nations (U.N.) Convention on the
domestic and global levels.
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women (1979), ratified by 189 countries, specifically
Legislation on global women’s issues has at times reached
addresses the rights of women. The United States has
an impasse due to long-standing abortion and family
not ratified the treaty due to sovereignty concerns.
planning-related debates. Some policymakers contend that
previously enacted abortion and family planning restrictions
At the Fourth U.N. World Conference on Women
should be included in certain gender-related legislation to
(1995), governments, including the United States,
ensure the restrictions apply to those bills. Others argue that
committed to eliminating discrimination against women
the restrictions do not need to be included because they are
and affirmed that “women’s rights are human rights.”
already law or because the bills are unrelated to abortion or
family planning.
U.N. Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women,
Peace, and Security (2000) urged governments to ensure
Agency Roles. The Department of State and U.S. Agency
the increased representation of women at all
for International Development (USAID) play key roles in
decisionmaking levels for conflict prevention,
coordinating U.S. efforts to address women’s issues, with
the names and priorities of relevant offices often changing
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Global Women’s Issues: Background and Selected U.S. Efforts
between Administrations. The State Department’s Office of
women in LMICs suffer from malnourishment, which can
Global Women’s Issues is led by an Ambassador-at-Large
raise the risk of disease, stunting, eclampsia, and obstetric
who reports to the Secretary of State and is tasked with
fistula. They are also more susceptible to HIV, and women
coordinating and raising awareness of women’s issues.
represent the majority of new HIV infections in many
(President Obama created the Ambassador position in
LMICs. Appropriations for USAID maternal and child
2009.) The origin of the office dates back to 1994, when
health programs rose from $295 million in FY2001 to $855
Congress declared that the department should designate a
million in FY2021. The State Department reports that the
senior advisor to promote international women’s human
President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief invested over
rights (P.L. 103-236). The USAID Gender Equality and
$800 million from FY2015 to FY2019 on HIV prevention
Women’s Empowerment Hub was established in 1974 as
programs for girls and young women.
the Office of Women in Development. Led by a senior
coordinator, it provides gender expertise, training, and
Gender-Based Violence (GBV). GBV, which includes
technical assistance. Over time, some policymakers have
random acts of violence as well as sustained abuse over
proposed codifying the offices and leadership positions.
time, can be physical or psychological in nature. Often
underreported, it occurs in all regions and economic classes,
Key Policy Issues
with higher rates in some developing countries. The United
Women, Peace, and Security (WPS). Research has found
States supports a range of anti-GBV activities in more than
that when women participate in peace processes they are
40 countries. In 2016, the Obama Administration issued a
more likely to build coalitions, support marginalized
U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based
groups, and promote national reconciliation. In 2017,
Violence Globally, which the Biden Administration states it
Congress enacted the Women, Peace, and Security Act
plans to update. The FY2021 SFOPS Appropriations Act
(P.L. 115-68), which promotes women’s participation in
provides $165 million for the multiyear GBV strategy.
conflict prevention, management, and resolution; calls for a
U.S. WPS strategy; and requires gender training. Presidents
Women in Humanitarian and Conflict Settings.
Obama and Trump issued WPS strategies in 2016 and 2019,
Humanitarian crises and conflict situations often
respectively. The FY2021 SFOPS Appropriations Act
disproportionately affect women and girls, who may be
provides $130 million for WPS and $50 million for
displaced and require life-saving assistance and protection.
women’s leadership, including political participation.
In these contexts, women are particularly vulnerable to
exploitation, including GBV, which may be used as a
Women’s Economic Empowerment. Evidence suggests
strategy of conflict or to induce displacement. Congress has
that gender inequality is a barrier to economic growth and
long supported humanitarian assistance for vulnerable
that economic contributions from women are not fully
populations, including women. It recently enacted bills to
realized in many parts of the world. The United States has
prevent child marriage in displaced populations (P.L. 116-
long supported programs to increase such opportunities for
94) and to support women and girls at risk from violent
women. Most recently, Congress enacted the Women’s
extremism and conflict (P.L. 115-31).
Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act of 2018
(P.L. 115-428), which aims to reduce gender disparity in
Congressional Considerations
economic opportunity and codify gender analysis in USAID
Integration into U.S. Foreign Assistance and Policy.
programs. In 2019, the Trump Administration created the
Some Members may consider whether women’s issues can
Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative
be more effectively addressed as discrete subjects, or as
(W-GDP), which President Biden has proposed expanding
considerations within broader development assistance and
and renaming the Gender Equity and Equality Action Fund.
strategies. In the policy context, there is some debate as to
Congress has appropriated up to $300 million to W-GDP
whether specific types of women’s issues can be isolated
since FY2020.
from each other or whether they are inextricably linked.
Girls’ Education. Over 132 million girls are out of school
Ongoing Oversight of Existing Legislation and Policies.
worldwide, while those who attend school often have lower
Congress may continue to monitor executive branch
completion rates and learning levels than boys. Barriers to
implementation of gender-related legislation, as well as the
education include poverty, child marriage, conflict, and
status of multiple government-wide policies and strategies
violence. U.S. global education activities support safe and
addressing women’s issues, including how, if at all, they are
quality education for both girls and boys, while recognizing
adjusting to recent global events such as the COVID-19
the importance of gender parity in education for girls and
pandemic.
their communities. In 2017, Congress passed the
Reinforcing Education Accountability in Development Act
Funding and Program Coordination. The State
(P.L. 115-56), which promotes activities that strengthen
Department and USAID track some gender programming
educational systems, including removing education barriers
broadly; however, the U.S. government does not
for girls. The FY2021 SFOPS Appropriations Act provides
comprehensively monitor funding for specific types of
$150 million for the education of girls in conflict areas.
women’s issues. Some policymakers contend that current
efforts are adequate, while others argue that they may
Women’s Health. Inadequate access to basic health care is
hinder U.S. efforts to assess its global gender programs.
a key cause of more than 800 daily deaths from pregnancy-
related causes worldwide, with 94% of these deaths in low-
Luisa Blanchfield, Coordinator, Specialist in
and middle-income countries (LMICs). Many girls and
International Relations
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Global Women’s Issues: Background and Selected U.S. Efforts
Tiaji Salaam-Blyther, Specialist in Global Health
Rhoda Margesson, Specialist in International
IF11804
Humanitarian Policy
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11804 · VERSION 3 · UPDATED