ExecutiveOrdersEO
EO 13623Executive OrderObama · D

Executive Order 13623

Preventing and Responding to Violence Against Women and Girls Globally

This executive order establishes a multi-year U.S. government strategy to prevent and respond to gender-based violence globally, creating an Interagency Working Group co-chaired by the Secretary of State and USAID Administrator. It mandates coordination across multiple federal agencies, integration of anti-violence programming into existing foreign policy and assistance efforts, improved data collection and research, and periodic reporting with benchmarks, progress reports, and eventual strategy revision.

Federal Register Open PDF 77 FR 49345

Impact dates

  1. Strategy updated or revised based on final evaluation findings

  2. Final evaluation of U.S. Government implementation of Strategy completed

  3. Progress report on U.S. Government implementation of Strategy completed

  4. First Working Group meeting convened; benchmarks and review timetable established

Key directives

  • Establish Interagency Working Group co-chaired by Secretary of State and USAID Administrator
  • Convene first Working Group meeting within 120 days to establish benchmarks and review timetable
  • Complete progress report within 18 months evaluating Strategy implementation
  • Complete final evaluation within 3 years of Strategy implementation
  • Update or revise Strategy within 180 days after final evaluation
  • Integrate gender-based violence prevention/response into existing foreign policy and foreign assistance
  • Develop research agenda assessing data collection capabilities, needs, and gaps
  • Prioritize monitoring and evaluation of interventions
  • Systematically identify and share best practices across agencies
  • Seek public-private partnerships for research and strategic planning
  • Support comprehensive multi-sector programming subject to appropriations availability

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

  • Establishment of Interagency Working Group with designated member agencies
  • Co-Chairs designated (Secretary of State and USAID Administrator)

Near term (90d)

  • First Working Group meeting convened (by December 8, 2012)
  • Benchmarks for Strategy implementation established
  • Timetable for periodic benchmark review determined

Long term

  • Progress report due (by February 10, 2014)
  • Final evaluation due (by August 10, 2015)
  • Strategy update/revision due (by February 10, 2016)
  • Ongoing integration of gender-based violence programming across foreign policy and foreign assistance
  • Development of research agenda and data collection capabilities
  • Potential expansion of multi-sector programming in select countries

Risks & tensions

  • Effectiveness contingent on appropriations availability (Sec. 4(b)), creating uncertainty in funding-dependent programming
  • Vague 'as appropriate' and 'consider' language in several directives may weaken accountability
  • Strong encouragement to independent agencies (Sec. 4(c)) lacks enforcement mechanism
  • Potential coordination challenges with 13+ member agencies plus existing interagency bodies
  • No specified consequences for missed benchmarks or evaluation findings
  • Research agenda development timeline unspecified, risking indefinite delay
Executive Order 13623: Preventing and Responding to Violence Against Women and Girls Globally · Executive Orders