Shaheen Statement on Women, Peace and Security Report

**Shaheen Authored the Bipartisan Bill Signed into Law in 2017 Requiring the Report**

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member and the only woman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement in response to the Biden administration’s release of a report on the status of the implementation of bipartisan legislation that Shaheen authored with Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and was signed into law in 2017.  Shaheen’s Women, Peace and Security Act bolsters women’s role in peace negotiations and conflict resolution around the world and within the U.S. government.

“The data doesn’t lie: we know that when women are at the table, peace agreements are likely to last longer, which results in a more secure, stable future for all communities, including in the most vulnerable parts of the world. That’s why bolstering women’s roles in peace negotiations and conflict resolution has long been a priority for me and why I wrote legislation that commissioned this report. The report released today reflects the urgency of integrating women into leadership roles to build stronger, safer societies around the globe,” said Shaheen. “It isn’t just the smart thing to do – it is the right thing to do. Women should have a role in shaping the laws they live under. I’m encouraged by President Biden’s commitment to apply the core values of the Women, Peace and Security Act across the U.S. government, namely that U.S. policy must incorporate women in the process and its focus. I look forward to working with the Biden administration to advance these efforts in support of U.S. interests and women and girls around the world.”

Data shows that when women are at the negotiating table for peace negotiations and conflict resolution, those peace plans are 35 percent more likely to succeed.   

Senator Shaheen is a fierce advocate for women and girls in the United States and around the globe. Shaheen has prioritized issues to empower women, such as opposing efforts to roll back women’s reproductive rights, fighting for the rights of sexual assault survivors, advocating on behalf of family planning and women’s global health, spearheading efforts to end violence against women and breaking down gender barriers obstructing girls’ access to quality education. Shaheen is also an outspoken advocate for Afghan women and girls amid U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Shaheen’s bipartisan resolution with Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) condemning the recent terror attack on a girls’ school in Kabul and in support of international efforts to ensure the safety of Afghan girls, recently cleared the Senate.