On the recordSeptember 7, 2017
This bill inexplicably defunds UN Women. What is UN Women? UN Women was created by the United Nations in 2010 to direct activities on gender equality issues. The organization helps meet the most urgent needs of women and girls by supporting women's full participation in their country's political, economic, and social life. So as I said, this bill inexplicably takes away funding, $8.5 million, that we are trying to get back from this very important program. I think this defunding of this is wrong, it is unwise, it is immoral. Let me tell you what happens when we abandon the UN Women, because this is what we are walking away from: providing services for survivors of human trafficking. We are walking away from registering women to vote and participate in their political system, including women in the peacemaking process. We are walking away from combating child bride kidnapping and fighting child marriage. That is what we are walking away from today. I know we have a lot of issues here in this country. We have been battling the hurricanes, and I know our hearts go out to all those impacted. There is something else that has been going on in this world for years now, which is the greatest humanitarian crisis that we have seen since World War II, and that is what is happening in Syria. You have millions of people fleeing into neighboring countries, running away from rape, from murder, from chemical attacks. What is the United States doing? Oh, well.…
