article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Women's Human Rights Protection Act of 1993''. SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL DECLARATION. The Congress makes the following findings and declarations: (1) It is the sense of Congress that the State Department should designate within the appropriate bureau a special assistant to the Assistant Secretary to promote international women's human rights within the overall human rights policy of the United States Government. (2) The purpose of assigning a special assistant on women's human rights issues is not to segregate such issues, but rather to assure that they are considered along with other human rights issues in the development of United States foreign policy. (3) A specifically designated special assistant is necessary because within the human rights field and the foreign policy establishment, the issues of gender-based discrimination and violence against women have long been ignored or made invisible. (4) The Congress believes that abuses against women would have greater visibility and protection of women's human rights would improve if the advocate were responsible for integrating women's human rights issues into United States human rights policy in ways including, but not limited to, the following: (A) The designated women's human rights advocate would seek to assure that the issue of abuses against women, along with human rights issues generally, are a factor in determining appropriate recipients for United States bilateral assistance as well as United States votes at the multilateral development banks. (B) The advocate would work with the regional bureaus of the Department of State to devise strategies for the executive branch to bring pressure to bear on governments that engage in violence or systematic discrimination against women or fail to afford equal treatment of women before the law. (C) The advocate would, in consultation with the bureau responsible for international organizations, pursue strategies to increase the visibility and integration of gender-based persecution and violence in multilateral fora including, but not limited to, the United States Commission on Human Rights and the Working Group on Torture. (D) The advocate would seek to assure that the United States Trade Representative conduct inquiries and take steps to prevent countries from receiving trade benefits under the Generalized System of Preferences and most favored nation status where governments fail to address violence, systematic discrimination, and exploitation of women workers. (E) The advocate would seek to assure that the protection of women's human rights, including womens' participation in the political process, women's right to freedom of association and expression, and freedom from discrimination, would be addressed in the context of United States funded programs in the area of democracy including, but not limited to, democracy programs at the Agency for International Development (AID), democracy programs for Eastern Europe funded by the Support Eastern European Democracy (SEED) legislation, and new programs that may be contemplated. (F) The advocate would seek to assure that United States assistance programs in the area of administration of justice include efforts to redress violations of women's rights. (G) The advocate would work with AID and the appropriate office at the Department of State to secure funding for programs to meet the needs of women victims of human rights abuses including, but not limited to, medical and psychological assistance for rape victims. (H) The advocate would work to assure United States ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and oversee the preparation of reports pursuant to that Convention. (I) The advocate would seek to upgrade the quality and quantity of information about abuses of women's human rights in the reporting from United States embassies overseas, incorporate that information not only in the State Department Country Reports on Human Rights, but also in other public statements and documents including, but not limited to, congressional testimony and private demarches. SEC. 3. REPORT TO CONGRESS. (a) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the Congress on the steps taken to create the position described in section 2 or to otherwise fulfill the objectives detailed in that section. (b) United States Ratification of CEDAW.--If the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) has not been submitted to the Senate for ratification, not more than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the Congress on the administration's position on the ratification of CEDAW and timetable for submission of CEDAW for congressional consideration and approval.
summary: Women's Human Rights Protection Act of 1993 - Directs the Secretary of State to report to the Congress on steps taken to create a special assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State to promote international women's human rights or to fulfill other specified objectives concerning such rights. Requires the Secretary, if the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) has not been submitted to the Senate for ratification, to report to the Congress on the Administration's position on ratification and the timetable for submission of CEDAW for congressional approval.