Gender has always remained a crucial issue in America. While significant strides forward have been taken, there still is inequality faced by women in contemporary society.
Prior to Obama’s presidency, gender policies and discussions were spearheaded by first ladies such as Hilary Clinton and Laura Bush.
Under the administration of Barack Obama, the Council on Women and Girls was established in 2009. Obama explained that he ratified this council with the notion that women’s issues are not only isolated to women but affect the society at large, trickling down into all sectors of everyday life. This council was led by Valerie Jarrett and Tina Tchen, however, both Jarett and Tchen had other roles and responsibilities in the White House and could not devote their full attention to this council.
When Trump assumed office in 2017, women’s initiatives in the White House subsequently declined. Trump’s daughter Ivanka advocated for child care and paid leave and set up a $50 million fund to expand women’s economic participation internationally. Despite Ivanka’s efforts, because there was no larger body ensuring her visions came into fruition, no significant progress was made.
President Biden, however, hopes to help America recover from the pandemic and implement substantial changes to help women of all races achieve equality and inclusion in the US.
According to Biden’s presidential campaign website, Biden claims that he “will pursue an aggressive and comprehensive plan to further women’s economic and physical security and ensure that women can fully exercise their civil rights.”
In mid-January, Biden and Harris announced the proposal of a White House Gender Council. This Gender Council will be chaired by Julissa Reynoso, previous ambassador to Uruguay and chief of staff to Dr. Jill Biden, and Jenifer Klein, former senior advisor to Hilary Clinton and chief strategy and policy officer at TIME’S UP. Both women have decades of experience in the realm of women’s activism.
Biden and Harris as well as Reynoso and Klein have outlined specific areas that the Gender Council will be targetting.
Economically, the council will combat the disproportionate jobs lost by women especially due to Coronavirus. The council hopes to implement equal pay, a higher minimum wage, more affordable child care options and paid leave. Hoping to also empower women economically, the council plans on expanding job training and strengthening women-owned small businesses.
Regarding healthcare, the council hopes to expand access to healthcare, specifically addressing the intersectionality that minority women face in this area.
Biden also has been a long-time supporter of eradicating violence against women. Having sponsored the Violence Against Women Act in 1994, he plans to continue to push this act to pass. Reynoso and Klein hope to push the government to create sexual harassment policies in the workplace, urging all employers to follow in their lead.
Klein stated the Gender Council is “a plan to take a government-wide approach to gender equity and equality.”
All cabinet members will be mandated to meet with the Gender Council and discuss ways to implement real changes to bring equality of gender to the US — a promising sign that the White House is taking women’s issues seriously.