Five US Senators introduced the International Violence Against Women Act (S. 2307) on May 8, 2014. The bill, also known as IVAWA, would make discrimination and violence against women and girls a top diplomatic priority for the United States. The Senators referenced the recent capture of hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls to highlight the need for the United States to enact IVAWA. A companion bill, H.R. 3571, was introduced in the US House of Representatives on November 21, 2013.
The Act would require the development and implementation of a five-year “global strategy to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls,” including identifying up to 20 high-priority countries to assist with addressing gender based violence. I-VAWA would permanently establish the Office of Global Women's Issues in the State Department and the position of Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's issues. It would specifically authorize the Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in the U.S. Agency for International Development. The bill would also implement gender-based initiatives in United States foreign assistance programs. Nearly 300 organizations have voiced support for the law’s enactment.