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President Joe Biden will sign two executive orders to promote gender equity on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2021. According to an administration official Biden’s goal is to restore “America as a champion for gender equity and equality.”
The first executive order the United States President plans to sign is a Gender Policy Council within the White House. This act will reformulate what former President Barack Obama’s administration placed into action. When former President Donald Trump was in office he disbanded this policy.
When Obama was in the office this policy was called the White House Council on Women and Girls. Biden’s administration says they changed the policy’s name because “gender discrimination can happen to” anyone.
However, the speaker for the administration says their focus will be “on women and girls.” They further said that they will “particularly” focusing on “women and girls of color.” This due to disproportionate and historical “barriers that they face.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, these inequalities have been highlighted. Most of the job losses and caregiving responsibilities have ended with women bearing the brunt end of the stick.
Jennifer Klein is set to co-chair the Gender Policy Council. Klein has worked on women’s issues since former President Bill Clinton’s administration. Julissa Reynoso will be co-chairing with Klein.
Reynoso is first lady Dr. Jill Biden’s chief of staff. She also served under Hilary Clinton at the State Department.
The second executive order that Biden will be signing is directed at the Department of Education. Biden plans on signing this order to reverse on-campus policies for sexual harassment and assault that were issued last year by Trump’s education secretary, Betsy DeVos.
The rules that DeVos issued, granted more protections and rights to those accused of sexual assault or harassment. A clear injustice to the victims of these crimes.
Once Biden signs the second executive order the Department of Education will be advised to review all their regulations. Especially DeVos’ Title IX regulation.
Biden’s goal is to guarantee and ensure that all students have an education that is free from any and all sexual violence.
Written by Sheena Robertson
Source:
NPR: Biden Will Establish A Gender Policy Council Within The White House; by Melissa Block
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Inline Image Courtesy of Gage Skidmore’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License