Sec. 1220. Sense of Congress

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Congress finds the following: The people of Afghanistan have taken the lead in providing for the security of their country and the successful elections are a positive step in the self-determination of the future of Afghanistan. However, no country can be successful in the long-term if a majority of its population is not included in the dialogue and decision-making of such country. The women of Afghanistan have made historic strides in the last several years and the elections prove that the women need and have a right to have a voice in the future of Afghanistan.

To that end, the women of Afghanistan are vital to the development of Afghanistan and the national security of Afghanistan; Women are needed to serve Afghanistan in the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), not just for the future standing of women in society, but for cultural reasons. Therefore, it is important that Afghanistan move forward in increasing the number of women in the ANSF with the current facilities and capacity to meet the requirements Afghanistan has proposed to achieve.

It is the sense of Congress that— the allocation of $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2014 for the ANSF should be prioritized for the recruitment, retention, and training of women in the ANSF; current facilities to support women in the ANSF should be fully utilized before additional infrastructure is constructed; the Government of Afghanistan should ensure that the fund provided prioritize efforts to increase the number of women serving in the ANSF, as proposed in the Master Ministerial Development Plan for Afghan National Army

(ANA)Gender Integration; as part of such plan, the conversion of the 13,000 women that were trained to support the elections is an important step in increasing the number of women in the ANSF; the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan’s report, A Way to Go: An Update on Implementation of the Law on Elimination of Violence Against Women in Afghanistan , should be integrated into efforts to enable women to serve in the ANSF; and the United States should continue to advocate for the rights and participation of women in Afghanistan in all levels of government and society.