SPEAKERS CONTENTS INSERTS
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80–960PDF
2002
RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF INHERITANCE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA; AND RELATING TO EFFORTS OF THE
PEACE PARKS FOUNDATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH
AFRICA TO FACILITATE THE ESTABLISHMENT AND
DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSFRONTIER CONSERVATION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA
MARKUP
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON AFRICA
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
ON
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H. Con. Res. 421 and H. Con. Res. 287
JULY 23, 2002
Serial No. 107–107
Printed for the use of the Committee on International Relations
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.house.gov/international—relations
COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
HENRY J. HYDE, Illinois, Chairman
BENJAMIN A. GILMAN, New York
JAMES A. LEACH, Iowa
DOUG BEREUTER, Nebraska
CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey
DAN BURTON, Indiana
ELTON GALLEGLY, California
ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida
CASS BALLENGER, North Carolina
DANA ROHRABACHER, California
EDWARD R. ROYCE, California
PETER T. KING, New York
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STEVE CHABOT, Ohio
AMO HOUGHTON, New York
JOHN M. McHUGH, New York
JOHN COOKSEY, Louisiana
THOMAS G. TANCREDO, Colorado
RON PAUL, Texas
NICK SMITH, Michigan
JOSEPH R. PITTS, Pennsylvania
DARRELL E. ISSA, California
ERIC CANTOR, Virginia
JEFF FLAKE, Arizona
BRIAN D. KERNS, Indiana
JO ANN DAVIS, Virginia
MARK GREEN, Wisconsin
TOM LANTOS, California
HOWARD L. BERMAN, California
GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York
ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American Samoa
DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey
ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey
SHERROD BROWN, Ohio
CYNTHIA A. McKINNEY, Georgia
EARL F. HILLIARD, Alabama
BRAD SHERMAN, California
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ROBERT WEXLER, Florida
JIM DAVIS, Florida
ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York
WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT, Massachusetts
GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York
BARBARA LEE, California
JOSEPH CROWLEY, New York
JOSEPH M. HOEFFEL, Pennsylvania
EARL BLUMENAUER, Oregon
SHELLEY BERKLEY, Nevada
GRACE NAPOLITANO, California
ADAM B. SCHIFF, California
DIANE E. WATSON, California
THOMAS E. MOONEY, SR., Staff Director/General Counsel
ROBERT R. KING, Democratic Staff Director
Subcommittee on Africa
EDWARD R. ROYCE, California, Chairman
AMO HOUGHTON, New York
THOMAS G. TANCREDO, Colorado
JEFF FLAKE, Arizona
BRIAN D. KERNS, Indiana
DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey
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GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York
BARBARA LEE, California
EARL F. HILLIARD, Alabama
THOMAS P. SHEEHY, Subcommittee Staff Director
CHARISSE GLASSMAN, Democratic Professional Staff Member
MALIK M. CHAKA, Professional Staff Member
ALYSSA JORGENSON, Staff Associate
C O N T E N T S
Markup of H. Con. Res. 421, Recognizing the importance of inheritance rights of women in Africa
The Honorable Edward R. Royce, a Representative in Congress from the State of California, and Chairman, Subcommittee on Africa: Prepared statement regarding H. Con. Res. 421
Text of H. Con. Res. 421
Markup of H. Con. Res. 287, Expressing the sense of Congress relating to efforts of the Peace Parks Foundation in the Republic of South Africa to facilitate the establishment and development of transfrontier conservation efforts in southern Africa
The Honorable Edward R. Royce: Prepared statement regarding H. Con. Res. 287
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Text of H. Con. Res. 287
RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF INHERITANCE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA; AND RELATING TO EFFORTS OF THE PEACE PARKS FOUNDATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA TO FACILITATE THE ESTABLISHMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSFRONTIER CONSERVATION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA
TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2002
House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Africa,
Committee on International Relations,
Washington, DC.
The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 2:13 p.m. in Room 2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Edward R. Royce presiding.
Mr. ROYCE. Good afternoon. We are here today for the markup of Resolutions 421 and 287.
The Africa Subcommittee has spent considerable time looking at how to promote economic development in Africa. This challenge has many facets. Issues surrounding the status of women in African societies—women are the continent's economic backbone—will be key in determining whether Africans will move forward or backward economically in the years ahead. One of these issues that has received scant attention is the inheritance rights of women, the subject of H. Con. Res. 421.
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Control over housing, land, and other property, this resolution notes, is critical to the physical safety, daily survival, and economic security of women in Africa. Unfortunately, many widows and their dependents in Africa face severe challenges because they have no claim to their property after the death of their husbands. Throughout Africa, customary and religious laws under which widowed women do not inherit housing and land traditionally have regulated property rights. While some African countries have changed these laws on the books, in practice these changes have had minimal impact on women's inheritance rights.
The issue of women's inheritance rights is all the more pressing given the HIV/AIDS pandemic. HIV/AIDS tragically has led to an explosion in the number of widows, as well as in the number of grandmothers and orphaned girls becoming the heads of households. Stripped of already meager means, these women face especially dire circumstances.
H. Con. Res. 421 encourages the U.S. to pay greater attention to the negative economic impact of the denial of inheritance rights to women on the continent. This resolution recommends that the Secretary of State examine this issue in the department's annual human rights report and encourages USAID to document the effect the denial of women's inheritance rights has on economic development. This resolution has an impressive 86 co-sponsors. I ask my colleagues to lend it their strong support.
We will now hear from Ranking Member Donald Payne.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Royce follows:]
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PREPARED STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE EDWARD R. ROYCE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND CHAIRMAN, SUBCOMMITTEE ON AFRICA
RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF INHERITANCE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA
The Africa Subcommittee has spent considerable time looking at how to promote economic development in Africa. This challenge has many facets. Issues surrounding the status of women in African societies—women are the continent's economic backbone—will be key in determining whether Africans will move forward or backward economically in the years ahead. One of these issues that has received scant attention is the inheritance rights of women, the subject of H. Con Res. 421.
Control over housing, land and other property, this resolution notes, is critical to the physical safety, daily survival, and economic security of women in Africa. Unfortunately, many widows and their dependents in Africa face severe challenges because they have no claim to their property after the death of their husbands. Throughout Africa, customary and religious laws under which widowed women do not inherit housing and land traditionally have regulated property rights. While some African countries have changed these laws on the books, in practice these changes have had minimal impact on women's inheritance rights.
The issue of women's inheritance rights is all the more pressing given the HIV/AIDS pandemic. HIV/AIDS tragically has led to an explosion in the number of widows, as well as in the number of grandmothers and orphaned girls becoming the heads of households. Stripped of already meager means, these women face especially dire circumstances.
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H. Con. Res. 421 encourages the U.S. to pay greater attention to the negative economic impact of the denial of inheritance rights to women on the continent. This resolution recommends that the Secretary of State examine this issue in the department's annual human rights report, and encourages USAID to document the effect the denial of women's inheritance rights has on economic development. This Resolution has an impressive 86 co-sponsors. I ask my colleagues to lend it their strong support.
[H. Con. Res. 421 follows:]
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Mr. PAYNE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, again I commend my colleagues and would like to say a few words on this second important resolution that brings long overdue attention to the devastating effects of discriminatory inheritance rights practices on women and children in Africa and the need to recognize inheritance rights of women.
There are still customary inheritance practices that deny women their right to inherit land and other property. These practices persist despite the presence of statutory laws in most countries that provide at least limited protection of women's rights to inherit and result in millions of women and children being paupers.
AIDS has exacerbated the problems women face with regard to property and inheritance rights. Due to AIDS, the number of women that are widowed at a young age has increased, and many women face an early death themselves. If they have been blamed for the HIV infection of their husband, it happens that women are driven out of the family after his death. Their own family may not always be in a position to take care of them because of their own problems to secure their livelihood or be unwilling to take them in because of the stigma.
Without access to land or other means of production, women face great difficulties in supporting themselves and their children. This resolution brings this important issue to the fore.
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Mr. ROYCE. Thank you, Congressman Payne. The next resolution we will take up, Resolution 287, addresses the efforts of the Peace Parks Foundation in the Republic of South Africa to facilitate the establishment and development of trans-frontier conservation efforts in southern Africa.
It is not news that Africa's environment is under siege. The continent's magnificent range of flora and fauna are under pressure as never before. If adverse ecological trends continue, Africans will suffer in many ways, including economically. Managed well, these resources can be a sustainable economic asset. The wanton destruction of plants and animals and natural habitat will affect all of us. We have a strong interest in seeing Africa's environment better managed.
Nature preserves have a mixed record of success. Poachers and resource shortages have frustrated environmental protection, and there has been a lack of cooperation among governments.
This resolution encourages support for the Peace Parks Foundation in South Africa. The foundation promotes trans-frontier conservation efforts among the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries. Wildlife does not recognize national borders; wildlife conservation efforts must transcend borders in Africa. In May 2000, southern Africa's first peace park, the Kgalagadi Trans-Frontier Park, situated between Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa, was officially opened. Since then, five more peace parks have been established in southern Africa.
This resolution is a product of travel to the region by several Members. I ask my colleagues to lend it their strong support.
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[The prepared statement of Mr. Royce follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE EDWARD R. ROYCE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND CHAIRMAN, SUBCOMMITTEE ON AFRICA
EFFORTS OF THE PEACE PARKS FOUNDATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA TO FACILITATE THE ESTABLISHMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF TRANS-FRONTIER CONSERVATION EFFORTS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA.
It is not news that Africa's environment is under siege. The continent's magnificent range of flora and fauna are under pressure as never before. If adverse ecological trends continue, Africans will suffer in many ways, including economically. Managed well, these resources can be a sustainable economic asset. The wanton destruction of plants and animals and natural habitat will affect all of us. We have a strong interest in seeing Africa's environment better managed.
Nature preserves have a mixed record of success. Poachers and resource shortages have frustrated environmental protection. And there has been a lack of cooperation among governments.
This Resolution encourages support for the Peace Parks Foundation in South Africa. The Foundation promotes trans-frontier conservation efforts among the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries. Wildlife doesn't recognize national borders; wildlife conservation efforts must transcend borders in Africa. In May 2000, southern Africa's first peace park, the Kgalagadi Trans-Frontier Park, situated between Namibia, Botswana and South Africa, was officially opened. Since then, five more peace parks have been established in southern Africa.
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This resolution is a product of travel to the region by several members. I ask my colleagues to lend it their strong support.
[H. Con. Res. 287 follows:]
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Mr. PAYNE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I commend my colleagues for introducing this resolution that encourages peace and development between the countries of southern Africa. The peace parks initiative deserves support because its founding principles address the root of the problem in Africa: poverty. Moreover, its economic potential is the mechanism for Africans to help themselves by using natural resources without destroying biodiversity. These peace parks provide the opportunity to build a market for tourism, create jobs, and reduce tension over resources that could lead to violence. We should ensure sustainable economic growth, based on ecotourism, among other things, which is the fastest growing industry in the world. Then will the people of Africa and elsewhere have reason to protect their natural assets. Thank you.
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Mr. ROYCE. Thank you. Congressman Flake?
Mr. FLAKE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also thank the Chairman for all of his efforts resulting in these two resolutions.
Mr. ROYCE. If there are not any other matters to address, we will vote on these resolutions. All in favor say aye.
Mr. FLAKE. Aye.
Mr. PAYNE. Aye.
Mr. ROYCE. That completes our hearing. We are now adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 2:20 p.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]