U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) on April 24 introduced a bipartisan bill that would establish U.S. policy to promote the empowerment of adolescent girls through programming designed to strengthen their participation in civic, political and community activities.
“When women engage, democracies are stronger, foreign aid is more effective, and the world is safer,” Rep. McMorris Rodgers said. “A truly representative government relies on the voices of all its citizens, no matter their background or walk of life.”
The congresswoman is the lead original cosponsor of the Girls’ Leadership, Engagement, Agency, and Development (LEAD) Act, H.R. 6626, with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. David Trone (D-MD) to support and expand civic engagement and political leadership of adolescent girls around the world.
“The bipartisan Girls LEAD Act highlights the importance of engaging girls in civics and public service. This will help build a stronger pipeline for young women to run for political office and encourage them to seek leadership positions in the private sector,” said Rep. McMorris Rodgers. “With more women empowered, it will support a new generation of transformational leaders in democracies around the world.”
If enacted, the bill would require the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development to develop a comprehensive strategy on bolstering the participation of adolescent girls in democracy, human rights and governance; prioritize foreign assistance funding made available for such programs; and provide joint annual reporting to Congress on progress made by U.S. government agencies in support of this policy, according to the bill summary.
H.R. 6626 is a companion bill to the same-named S. 2766, introduced in October 2019 by bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and original cosponsor U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD).
The measure is endorsed by several organizations, including Save the Children and ChildFund International, The Hunger Project, the National Association of Social Workers, Oxfam America, and the International Action Network for Gender Equity and Law, among others.