Houses Approves Spending Bill, Includes Permanent Office of Global Women’s Issues and Language on Confronting Child Marriage

WASHINGTON, June 12, 2009 – Earlier this week, the House of Representatives approved a two-year State Department authorization bill (H.R. 2410) that included provisions to confront child marriage and permanently establish an Office of Global Women’s Issues.

The House approved H.R. 2410 on a vote of 235 to 187. It includes language providing a permanent authorization for the Office of Global Women’s Issues, ensuring its continued existence after the Obama administration. (In March, the Obama administration announced the creation of a new post for international women’s issues and President Obama nominated and the Senate confirmed Melanne Verveer as the first Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issue. Verveer serves at the State Department under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.)

H.R. 2410 also included language to confront child marriage. The International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act (HR 2103 and S 987), introduced in the House and Senate earlier this month, authorizes U.S. foreign assistance programs for 2010 and 2011 to prevent child marriage and provide educational and economic opportunities for girls in the developing world.

“Married girls – some as young as eight, 10 or 12 years old – are condemned to a life of forced labor, coerced sex, extreme poverty and utter hopelessness,” said U.S. Representative Betty McCollum (D-MN). “In countries such as Ethiopia, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia, child marriage is nothing short of modern slavery, and we must work to end this damaging practice."

Rep. McCollum added "My commitment is to make sure girls can avoid the harm of child marriage and instead have the opportunity to learn, grow, and contribute their skills to strengthening their communities and eventually freely decide for themselves who their marriage partner will be. Congress can play a major role in sending a message that child marriage is unacceptable by investing in resources to improve the future and the lives of girls.”

The Senate will next mark up its own version of the State Department Reauthorization Act.

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