Women's rights activists around the world received some good news earlier this month when the bi-partisan International Violence Against Women Act was re-introduced into both houses of Congress.  The bill, if passed, would be the first comprehensive approach by the United States to address gender violence through its foreign assistance programs.  The bill would authorize $245 million over five years to prevent and respond to such violence and would include the following components:

• Immediate assistance to survivors of violence, including medical, psychosocial, legal and other social service support;
• Training for all U.S. private military contractors and foreign mililtary forces trained by the U.S. on preventing and responding to gender violence;
• $40 million for the State Department and USAID to expand humanitarian response programs on gender violence, with a focus on conflict and post-conflict settings;
• An increased focus in U.S. humanitarian programs to the needs of women and girls in fighting forces as they re-integrate into civilian society; and
• Add gender violence specialists to USAID's Disaster Assistance Response Teams.

These would all be important steps forward in supporting and strengthening international efforts to address violence against women.  To learn more and the bill and to advocate for its passage, check out Women Thrive Worldwide.