; Whereas, according to the United Nation’s Children’s Fund (commonly referred to as UNICEF )— (1) approximately ¼ of girls between the ages of 15 and 19 have been victims of some form of physical violence; (2) approximately 120,000,000 girls worldwide, about 1 in 10, have experienced forced sexual acts; and (3) an estimated 1 in 3 women around the world has experienced some form of physical or sexual violence; Whereas the overall level of violence against women is a better predictor of the peacefulness of a country, the compliance of a country with international treaty obligations, and the relations of a country with neighboring countries than indicators measuring the level of democracy, level of wealth, or level of institutionalization of the country; Whereas women around the world remain vastly underrepresented in government positions, as women account for only 25.6 percent of national parliamentarians and 21 percent of government ministers; Whereas the ability of women and girls to realize their full potential is critical to the ability of a country to achieve strong and lasting economic growth, self-reliance, and political and social stability; Whereas, although the United Nations Millennium Project reached the goal of achieving gender parity in primary education in most countries in 2015, the COVID–19 global pandemic has deepened gender inequality in education and more work remains to be done to achieve gender equality in primary and secondary education, particularly in secondary education worldwide as gender gaps persist and widen, by addressing— (1) discriminatory practices; (2) harmful cultural and social norms; (3) inadequate sanitation facilities, including facilities to manage menstruation; (4) child, early, and forced marriage; (5) poverty; (6) food insecurity and malnutrition; (7) early pregnancy and motherhood; (8) conflict and insecurity; and (9) other factors that favor boys or devalue girls’ education