Shaheen, Collins, Rosen, Murkowski Introduce Resolution Calling for Urgent Action to Protect the Rights of Women and Girls in Haiti

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Susan Collins (R-ME), Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced a resolution to underscoring the importance of advancing the rights of women and girls in Haiti as a cornerstone of the country's economic and political stability.

Women and girls in Haiti face widespread sexual and gender-based violence, which is deliberately used as a tool of terror and control. Despite Haiti's constitutional requirement that women hold at least 30 percent of leadership positions, no women currently hold any of the seven voting seats on the Transitional Presidential Council, which threatens the legitimacy and effectiveness of Haiti's political transition.

The resolution condemns the failure of both the Haitian government and international community's to meaningfully center women's leadership or address the distinct needs of women and girls to date. It calls for urgent action to secure the full human rights of women and girls amid Haiti's deepening security, governance and humanitarian crisis.

"Every day, women and girls in Haiti continue to face record levels of gender-based violence, displacement and unmet health needs," said Ranking Member Shaheen. "Despite bearing the brunt of Haiti's deteriorating security and humanitarian conditions, they continue to be marginalized and excluded from governing decisions on restoring peace and democracy in their country. As the Transitional Presidential Council's mandate comes to an end, I urge Haiti's leaders, the United States government and the international community to take serious and concrete steps to finally protect the rights of Haitian women and girls and ensure they have a role in shaping their country's future."

"The security and future stability of Haiti depend on protecting the rights and dignity of women and girls and ensuring their meaningful participation in national decision making," said Senator Collins. "Widespread gender-based violence and the exclusion of women from transitional governance undermine efforts to restore order and rebuild democratic institutions. Respect for the human rights of women and girls is essential to Haiti's recovery and its future."

"When women and girls are meaningfully included and protected, communities are safer, governments are stronger, and lasting peace is possible," said Senator Rosen. "I'm proud to join my colleagues in the Senate to help introduce this bipartisan resolution that reiterates the importance of supporting women and girls around the globe and especially in Haiti. The resolution also rightly condemns the actions taken by the Trump Administration's Departments of State and Defense for their failures to meet statutory requirements under the Women, Peace, and Security Act and the closure of the Office of Global Women's Issues at the State Department - efforts that undermine U.S. leadership and weaken stability in Haiti and beyond. There is still much work to be done, but if we can commit to working together to ensure women and girls have a seat at the table, our nations will be better for it.

"Gender-based violence in Haiti has reached crisis levels," said Senator Murkowski. "The United States has long understood that communities are more stable and resilient when women and girls are able to live free from fear and violence, and that their exclusion carries broader consequences. What we see in Haiti is not isolated. It reflects the threats women and girls face in other areas, including Afghanistan, Sudan, and the dozens of other countries undergoing crises identified by multilateral organizations. This resolution underscores the importance of sustained attention and engagement to ensure that U.S. responses to conflict do not overlook the safety and participation of women and girls."

"Working with women-led organizations throughout Haiti has taught us the importance of ensuring that women are engaged as equal partners in the ongoing development of Haiti," said Carine Jocelyn, founder of the Haitian Women's Collective and the Fund for Haitian Women. "For Haiti to secure a peaceful and prosperous future, Haitian women must be among policy makers, government leaders, civic leaders, and agents of change, and they must have equitable access to financing. We applaud Senators Shaheen, Collins, Rosen, and Murkowski for uplifting the rights of Haitian women and girls."

"Women's rights are not optional or secondary, but are essential to peace, justice, and stability in Haiti," said Robert Bank, President and CEO of American Jewish World Service. "Senator Shaheen and the cosponsors of this resolution recognize that we cannot promote democracy in Haiti if we ignore the systemic discrimination and violence committed against the nation's women and girls. Haiti's future depends on equity and the full inclusion of women in every aspect of rebuilding. This resolution is a powerful call to conscience that rightly centers women's leadership."

"The proposed Resolution represents an extraordinary measure of solidarity with Haitian women and girls, and with Haitian civil society," said Sasha Filippova, Senior Staff Attorney for the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti. "U.S. Senators from both sides of the aisle are saying that the U.S. government, Haiti's international partners, and Haiti's transitional government are violating women's rights, and in the process undermining their own efforts to establish peace and stable democracy in Haiti. The Senators have also aligned their calls for immediate measures with those that have been urged by Haitian women's rights and other civil society leaders - including what almost 200 organizations have put forward through the Policy Framework for an Effective and Equitable Transition."

Women and girls in Haiti have long faced systemic discrimination and gender-based violence, but conditions have sharply worsened since 2021 amid the country's deepening security and humanitarian crisis. Survivors often lack access to basic medical care, shelter and justice, while impunity for perpetrators remains widespread.

The resolution calls for centering women's leadership in Haiti's transition, enforcing constitutional requirements for women's representation, prioritizing protections for survivors of gender-based violence and reaffirming U.S. commitments under the Women, Peace and Security agenda as essential to restoring stability and democratic governance.

Read and download the full text of the resolution here.

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