Breaking Through Barriers

AAUW Applauds Formation of White House Council on Women and Girls   White House Office Was a Key AAUW Transition Recommendation

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama will sign an executive order creating a White House Council on Women and Girls at an East Room ceremony this afternoon. The new office was a high-priority recommendation from AAUW to the presidential transition team.

“AAUW is delighted that President Obama has decided to formally give women and girls a seat at the White House table,” said AAUW Executive Director Linda D. Hallman, CAE, who will attend the White House signing ceremony. “The council will help ensure that the unique issues and challenges facing women and girls continue to be at the forefront of the administration’s policies and priorities.”

The formation of the White House Council on Women and Girls was spurred on by AAUW’s leadership to reestablish critical women’s programs in the executive branch. In December, AAUW spearheaded a letter to the Obama transition team requesting that the new administration restore and strengthen all offices that in past administrations have played a fundamental role in protecting and advancing women’s issues and opportunities.

“The creation of the White House Council on Women and Girls is the first and most critical step in fulfilling the recommendations made in the AAUW letter, which was signed by more than 40 organizations committed to women’s rights,” Hallman said.

“Today’s executive order is a victory not only for AAUW but for the millions of women and girls who once again have a pipeline directly into the White House,” said Lisa M. Maatz, AAUW director of public policy and government relations. “President Obama has demonstrated that he shares our commitment to women and girls through such actions as signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law and repealing the global gag rule. The action today builds on those early successes and will pave the way for further opportunities to advance AAUW’s mission for women and girls.”

The White House Council on Women and Girls will be chaired by Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett, while Office of Public Liaison Director Tina Tchen will be the council’s executive director. It will be comprised of senior-level administration and executive branch officials, including top Cabinet-level staff.

The council will begin its work by asking federal agencies to analyze their current status with respect to internal and external focus on women. It will then undertake a variety of initiatives designed to promote interagency collaboration and a coordinated federal response in addressing critical issues facing women and their families, and further policy initiatives to advance gender equity.

Maatz noted that previous entities that existed during the Clinton administration, such as the White House Office for Women’s Initiatives and Outreach and the President’s InterAgency Council on Women, performed similar functions and were successful in their efforts but then were disbanded by President George W. Bush.

“President Obama is sending a strong signal by providing this platform for the development and implementation of new ideas. We look forward to working with the council to cement the gains we’ve made and to continue to make real progress for women and girls,” said Maatz.

To read AAUW’s 2009–10 federal public policy agenda, visit http://www.aauw.org/advocacy/issue_advocacy/upload/fedpolicyagenda.pdf

To read the letter to the Obama transition team, visit http://www.aauw.org/advocacy/issue_advocacy/upload/WomenAdminObamaLetterWeb.pdf