The Countering Violence in the Western Hemisphere Act directs the U.S. government to expand foreign assistance and diplomatic efforts to combat violence against women and children in Latin America and the Caribbean. The bill requires USAID to increase funding to women-led local organizations, expand economic empowerment programs, and simplify access to resources for groups addressing gender-based violence in the region. It also mandates the State Department and USAID to collaborate with local law enforcement to provide training on preventing and prosecuting gender-based violence, and establishes $2 million in annual funding for the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women beginning in fiscal year 2025. The legislation requires multiple reports and strategy submissions to Congress over the next several years, including an examination of how violence drives irregular migration from Central America and assessments of foreign influence on violence in the region.
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