New White House Council on Women and Girls

Earlier today, President Obama signed an Executive Order to create the White House Council on Women and Girls.

The mission of the council will be to provide a coordinated federal response to the challenges confronted by women and girls and to ensure that all Cabinet and Cabinet-level agencies consider how their policies and programs impact women and families.

According to the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity, the actions of over 40 national organizations–including the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity and the NAPE Education Foundation influenced the decision. They called for the reestablishment of critical women’s programs in the executive branch. In December, these organizations sent 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.

White House Council on Women and Girls
White House announcement

Opportunities their mothers and grandmothers and great grandmothers never dreamed of” – The White House blog

Obama’s Council on Women and Girls – Article in the New York Times