The plan calls for investing in care infrastructure and care workers to help rebuild the economy and lower costs for working families. (Photo: Shutterstock)
The Biden administration late last week issued the first-ever national gender strategy to advance the full participation of women and girls, both in the United States and around the world.
"President Biden and Vice President Harris believe that advancing gender equity and equality is fundamental to every individual's economic security, safety, health and ability to exercise their most basic rights," according to a White House fact sheet. "It is also essential to economic growth and development, democracy and political stability, and the security of nations across the globe. Ensuring that all people, regardless of gender, have the opportunity to realize their full potential is, therefore, both a moral and strategic imperative."
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The strategy identifies 10 interconnected priorities: economic security; gender-based violence; health; education; justice and immigration; human rights and equality under the law; security and humanitarian relief; climate change; science and technology; and democracy, participation and leadership.
Strategic priorities include:
- Ensure that people have equal access to good jobs, including addressing persistent gender discrimination and systemic barriers to full workforce participation.
- Invest in care infrastructure and care workers to help rebuild the economy and lower costs for working families.
- Dismantle barriers to equal opportunity in education that undermine the ability to compete on a level playing field, recognizing that education affects future economic security.
- Preventing and responding to gender-based violence. Work to eliminate gender-based violence wherever it occurs by developing and strengthening national and global laws and policies, investing in comprehensive services for survivors and increasing prevention efforts.
- Increasing access to health care. Health care is a right, not a privilege.
- Advancing democracy, rights and full participation. Supporting women's and girls' full participation in social, economic, civic and political life — and ensuring they are represented at the tables where decisions are made — is essential to progress in every other area and a precondition to advancing strong and sustainable democracies.
"Realizing this bold vision is a governmentwide responsibility that cuts across the work of the Biden-Harris administration in both domestic and foreign affairs," the fact sheet concluded. "Implementing this strategy will require the leadership of every White House office and executive agency. This strategy is not just words on paper; it is a roadmap to deliver results for the American people and our partners around the world."
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Alan Goforth
Alan Goforth is a freelance writer in suburban Kansas City. In addition to freelancing for several publications, he has written a dozen books about sports and other topics.
