On July 27, the House Foreign Affairs Committee approved en bloc, by voice vote, several bills, including H.R. 2408, the Protecting Girls’ Access to Education Act.
Sponsored by Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH), the measure would authorize, as a matter of U.S. policy, partnerships to support efforts to ensure displaced children, especially girls, have access to safe primary and secondary education.
The legislation notes that “[e]ducation offers socioeconomic opportunities, psychological stability, and physical protection for displaced people, particularly for women and girls, who might otherwise be vulnerable to severe forms of trafficking in persons…child marriage, sexual exploitation, or economic disenfranchisement…,” and, among other provisions, would authorize the State Department and the United States Agency for International Development to prioritize and advance programs that provide displaced children, especially girls, access to such opportunities.
