Women Thrive Worldwide commends Congressman Howard Berman (D-CA), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Congressman Mark Kirk (R-IL), for introducing the Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act of 2009 (HR 2139), which puts down a marker for a major overhaul of U.S. assistance, and urges speedy passage of this bipartisan legislation through the House.  

The bill requires the Obama Administration to create a National Strategy for Global Development as was called for by the HELP Commission, a bipartisan review of foreign assistance carried out in the last Congress. Such a strategy would provide a rationale and roadmap for U.S. foreign assistance over the long term, ensuring a more strategic, coordinated and effective use of assistance dollars. 

HR 2139 mandates the establishment of better systems for accountability, transparency, and monitoring and evaluation for foreign assistance.  The bill also elevates development as one of the three “D’s” of U.S. foreign policy, along with diplomacy and defense. 

HR 2139 supports the principle of gender equality and requires measurable performance goals, including gender-sensitive goals, in evaluating the success or failure of foreign assistance.

“Our current foreign assistance structure is outdated and falling well short of its potential to do good for the poorest worldwide, the majority of whom are women,” said Ritu Sharma, Co-Founder and President of Women Thrive Worldwide.  “We support and commend Chairman Berman’s leadership in putting forward this legislation, and hope the Obama Administration will follow through by developing a national strategy for global development that our government can rally around.”

The bill is an important first step in the process of modernizing and revamping U.S. foreign assistance programs. Women Thrive supports this effort and believes it is crucial to improving the effectiveness of U.S. efforts to reduce poverty worldwide, especially for women and girls.