The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
August 10, 2012
EXECUTIVE ORDER
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PREVENTING AND RESPONDING TO VIOLENCE
AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS GLOBALLY
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the
laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1.
Policy. (a) Recognizing that
gender-based violence undermines not only the safety, dignity, and human
rights of the millions of individuals who experience it, but also the
public health, economic stability, and security of nations, it is the
policy and practice of the executive branch of the United States
Government to have a multi-year strategy that will more effectively
prevent and respond to gender-based violence globally.
(b) Under the leadership of my Administration, the United States has
made gender equality and women's empowerment a core focus of our foreign
policy. This focus is reflected in our National Security Strategy, the
Presidential Policy Directive on Global Development, and the 2010 U.S.
Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review. Evidence demonstrates that
women's empowerment is critical to building stable, democratic
societies; to supporting open and accountable governance; to furthering
international peace and security; to growing vibrant market economies;
and to addressing pressing health and education challenges.
(c) Preventing and responding to gender-based violence is a cornerstone
of my Administration's commitment to advance gender equality and
women's empowerment. Such violence significantly hinders the ability of
individuals to fully participate in, and contribute to, their
communities -- economically, politically, and socially. It is a human
rights violation or abuse; a public health challenge; and a barrier to
civic, social, political, and economic participation. It is associated
with adverse health outcomes, limited access to education, increased
costs relating to medical and legal services, lost household
productivity, and reduced income, and there is evidence it is
exacerbated in times of crisis, such as emergencies, natural disasters,
and violent conflicts.
(d) The executive branch multi-year strategy for preventing and
responding to gender-based violence is set forth in the United States
Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence Globally
(Strategy). The Strategy both responds to and expands upon the request
in section 7061 of House conference report 112-331 accompanying the
Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
Appropriations Act, 2012
(Division I of Public Law 112-74), for the executive branch to develop a
multi-year strategy to prevent and respond to violence against women
and girls in countries where it is common.
Sec.
2.
Creating an Interagency Working Group.
There is established an Interagency Working Group (Working Group) to
address gender-based violence, which shall coordinate implementation of
the Strategy by the executive departments and agencies that are members
of the Working Group (member agencies) in accordance with the priorities
set forth in section 3 of this order.
(a) The Working Group shall be co-chaired by the Secretary of State and
the Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development (Co-Chairs). In addition to the Co-Chairs, the Working Group
shall consist of representatives from:
(i) the Department of the Treasury;
(ii) the Department of Defense;
(iii) the Department of Justice;
(iv) the Department of Labor;
(v) the Department of Health and Human Services;
(vi) the Department of Homeland Security;
(vii) the Office of Management and Budget;
(viii) the National Security Staff;
(ix) the Office of the Vice President;
(x) the Peace Corps;
(xi) the Millennium Challenge Corporation;
(xii) the White House Council on Women and Girls; and
(xiii) other executive departments, agencies, and offices, as designated by the Co-Chairs.
(b) Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Co-Chairs shall convene the first meeting of the Working Group to:
(i) establish benchmarks to implement the Strategy; and
(ii) determine a timetable for periodically reviewing those benchmarks.
(c) Within 18 months of the date of this order, the Working Group shall
complete a progress report for submission to the Co-Chairs evaluating
the U.S. Government's implementation of the Strategy.
(d) Within 3 years of the date of this order, the Working Group shall
complete a final evaluation for submission to the Co-Chairs of the U.S.
Government's implementation of the Strategy.
(e) Within 180 days of completing its final evaluation of the Strategy
in accordance with subsection (d) of this section, the Working Group
shall update or revise the Strategy to take into account the information
learned and the progress made during and through the implementation of
the Strategy.
(f) The activities of the Working Group shall, consistent with law,
take due account of existing interagency bodies and coordination
mechanisms and will coordinate with such bodies and mechanisms where
appropriate in order to avoid duplication of efforts.
Sec.
3.
Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence Globally.
Member agencies shall implement the Strategy to prevent and respond to
gender-based violence globally based on the following priorities
reflected in the Strategy:
(a)
Increasing Coordination of Gender-based Violence Prevention and
Response Efforts Among U.S. Government Agencies and with Other
Stakeholders.
(i) Member agencies shall draw upon each other's expertise,
responsibility, and capacity to provide a comprehensive and
multi-faceted approach to issues relating to gender-based violence.
(ii) Member agencies shall deepen engagement and coordination with
other governments; international organizations, including multilateral
and bilateral actors; the private sector; and civil society
organizations, such as representatives of indigenous and marginalized
groups, foundations, community-based, faith-based, and regional
organizations (including those that serve survivors), labor unions,
universities, and research organizations. The Working Group shall
consider a range of mechanisms by which these stakeholders may provide
input to the U.S. Government on its role in preventing and responding to
gender-based violence globally.
(b)
Enhancing Integration of Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response Efforts into Existing U.S. Government Work.
Member agencies shall more comprehensively integrate gender-based
violence prevention and response programming into their foreign policy
and foreign assistance efforts. This integration shall also build on
current efforts that address gender-based violence, such as the U.S.
National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security; the Global Health
Initiative; the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief; the U.S.
Government's work to counter trafficking in persons; and the U.S.
Government's humanitarian response efforts. The Working Group shall
coordinate these different efforts as they relate to gender-based
violence to leverage the most effective programs and to avoid
duplication.
(c)
Improving Collection, Analysis, and Use of Data and Research to Enhance Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response Efforts.
Member agencies shall work to promote ethical and safe research, data
collection, and evidence-based analyses relating to different forms of
gender-based violence and prevention and response efforts at the country
and local level. This work will include the development of a research
agenda that assesses agencies' research and data collection
capabilities, needs, and gaps; builds upon existing data and research;
and is coordinated with the work of other organizations that are
prioritizing global gender-based violence research. Member agencies
shall prioritize the monitoring and evaluation of gender-based violence
prevention and response interventions to determine their effectiveness.
Member agencies shall systematically identify and share best practices,
lessons learned, and research within and across agencies. Member
agencies, as appropriate, shall seek to develop public-private
partnerships to support U.S. Government research initiatives and
strategic planning efforts.
(d)
Enhancing or Expanding U.S. Government Programming that Addresses Gender-based Violence.
Consistent with the availability of appropriations, the U.S. Government
shall support programming that provides a comprehensive and
multi-sector approach to preventing and responding to gender-based
violence; shall consider replicating or expanding successful programs;
and shall assess the feasibility of a focused, coordinated,
comprehensive, and multi-sector approach to gender-based violence in one
or more countries.
Sec.
4.
General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) Independent agencies are strongly encouraged to comply with this order.
(d) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or
benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by
any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or
entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
BARACK OBAMA
