In a ceremony today at the White House, President Obama signed an executive order creating a Council on Women and Girls. Like the previous office in the Clinton administration, this council will operate out of the White House and have members of the Cabinet as participants.
The mission as outlined from the official statement on the Council is "to provide a coordinated federal response to the challenges confronted by women and girls." I like that the new commission attaches girls, a nod to the president's daughters and the next generation of women who will face new road blocks in the future. It shows a commitment to ongoing participation in the dialogue. As Kim Gandy, NOW President, noted, "the make-up of the White House Council is extraordinary," largely because of the president's commitment to appointing women to his Cabinet, de facto members of the Council.
It's an exciting step and the visual of all of the women with the president as he signed the order was impressive. But we can't stop here. We need to make sure the council has the authority to influence real policy changes and participate in the national discussion with women outside the Beltway. I have faith that the administration can do this, given the people who are working on projects from the inside related to policy, transparency and support of women, but they need to hear from us.
Another thing worth considering is the concept of a commission that would be in addition to the council, bringing in a broader perspective from the outside through its bipartisan nature as mandated by law. It's a different vehicle for gaining momentum for women and children. WomenCount and others have created a petition for this because it could potentially involve a greater level of participation, and there is legislation in the works to be introduced in Congress to this effect. It's all positive news about the government moving things forward for women and our daughters.
Among other things, Sarah Granger is Director of New Media for WomenCount.
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