Presidential DocumentExecutive Order 136232012-20259
Preventing and Responding to Violence Against Women and Girls Globally
Primary source
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Published
August 16, 2012
Signed
August 10, 2012
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 77 Issue 159 (Thursday, August 16, 2012)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 159 (Thursday, August 16, 2012)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 49345-49348]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2012-20259]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 159 / Thursday, August 16, 2012 /
Presidential Documents
___________________________________________________________________
Title 3--
The President
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Executive Order 13623 of August 10, 2012
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;
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(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;
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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.
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(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.
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
(Presidential Sig.)
THE WHITE HOUSE,
Washington, August 10, 2012.
[FR Doc. 2012-20259
Filed 8-15-12; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F2-P
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