Countering Violence in the Western Hemisphere Act

The term appropriate congressional committees means—

(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;

(B) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;

(C) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives; and

(D) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.

The term USAID means the United States Agency for International Development.

The term violence against women and children means any harmful threat or act directed at an individual or group based on actual or perceived biological sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or a lack of adherence to varying socially-constructed norms around masculinity and femininity.

(1) in paragraph (11)—

(A) in subparagraph (B), by adding and at the end; and

(B) in subparagraph (C), by striking and at the end;

(2) in paragraph (12)(C)(ii), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon;

(3) in paragraph (13)—

(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking Wherever and inserting wherever; and

(B) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period at the end and inserting; and; and

(4) by adding at the end the following:

(14) wherever applicable, a description of the nature and extent of gender-based violence.

(4) .

USAID shall—

(1) within its model of locally led development, engage partner governments in the Western Hemisphere to develop and implement programming to increase direct local funding to women-led or women-focused nonprofit organizations and local partners working—

(A) to counter violence against women and children within their respective communities;

(B) to empower victims of violence against women and children; and

(C) to support the economic empowerment, financial independence, and security of women; and

(2) simplify and increase access to resources for local partners working to advance efforts to prevent and address violence against women and children in the Western Hemisphere.

Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, USAID shall brief appropriate congressional committees regarding its proposed plans to implement subsection (a).

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of USAID shall submit a strategy to the appropriate congressional committees that incorporates specific, measurable benchmarks to achieve the purposes described in subsection (a).

Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for the following 5 years, the Administrator of USAID shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a written description of the progress made by USAID towards achieving the benchmarks included in the strategy submitted pursuant to subsection (c).

The Department of State and USAID shall collaborate with local law enforcement and criminal justice agencies to conduct training to report, prevent, investigate, and prosecute instances of gender-based violence in the Western Hemisphere.

The Secretary of State shall work with the International Law Enforcement Academy San Salvador (ILEA San Salvador) and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs to develop and implement a training program for foreign law enforcement officers designed to help prevent, investigate, prosecute, and report instances of gender-based violence.

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in collaboration with the USAID Administrator, shall develop and submit to the appropriate congressional committees a strategy—

(1) to support law enforcement and criminal justice agencies in reporting, preventing, investigating, and prosecuting instances of gender-based violence in the Western Hemisphere; and

(2) to increase the focuses of the Department of State and USAID on—

(A) rights-based, gender-responsive, and trauma-informed training and education on gender-based violence prevention and investigation;

(B) proactive engagement with civil society organizations, academia, and international supporting actors for an informed response to gender-based violence; and

(C) the standardization of the investigation processes for cases of gender-based violence that take a victim and survivor-centered and rights-based approach.

The Secretary of State and the USAID Administrator shall strengthen and expand research partnerships and educational exchange opportunities for scholars, researchers, and students through engagement with nongovernmental organizations and private sector institutions that work on violence against women and children in the Western Hemisphere.

The Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs shall encourage the participation in the J. William Fulbright Educational Exchange Program of researchers, scholars, and students who are focused on researching and addressing the root causes of violence against women and children in the Western Hemisphere.

The Ambassador-at-Large for the Office of Global Women’s Issues shall encourage the involvement of scholars from the Western Hemisphere focusing on researching violence against women and children in global forums and sessions to share their findings and to strengthen the United States' response to violence against women and children in the Western Hemisphere.

(1) examines the role of violence against women and children in the Western Hemisphere as a driver of irregular migration;

(2) identifies gaps in the United States' strategy for addressing the root causes of migration in Central America to counter violence against women and children;

(3) identifies which foreign governments are involved in countering or promoting violence against women and children;

(4) examines ways in which the United States and its allies can continue as the leading partner in the region on countering violence against women and children; and

(5) contains a regional analysis of the root causes of violence against women and children and its impact on irregular migration, particular migration originating from Central America and the Andean region.