Moving Forward in Equity: Women in New Administration In Era of Economic Recovery

From L to R top clockwise: Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot; Jackie Kaplan-Perkins; Jennifer Welch and Rebecca Chi discuss the role of women in the economic recovery under the new White House administration.

“Women have to be front and center in all of our discussions,” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot declares in a virtual panel discussion hours before the inauguration of Joe Biden as President of the United States, where a cascade of firsts for women and BIPOC were literally center stage.

““Women have to be front and center in all of our discussions,” Chicago Mayor @LoriLightfoot declared in a virtual panel discussion hours before the #inauguration of @JoeBiden as President of the United States. #GlassCeiling”

Gathering city leaders to focus on the future locally and nationally in the coming weeks, months and years, Lightfoot, the first openly gay Black woman mayor of any major city in the country, says the new administration offers a variety of historic firsts.

“The new president nominated a trans woman as assistant secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, the first time ever a trans individual will serve” as a federal official, Lightfoot says.

“Gathering city #leaders to focus on the future locally and nationally in the coming weeks, months and years, @LoriLightfoot, the first openly gay Black woman mayor of any major city in the country, says the new #Biden #administration offers a variety of historic firsts. ”

Dr. Rachel Levine, “Pennsylvania’s top health official...a pediatrician, would become the first openly transgender federal official to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate,” according to The Washington Post.

 “Dr. Rachel Levine will bring the steady leadership and essential expertise we need to get people through this pandemic — no matter their zip code, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability — and meet the public health needs of our country in this critical moment and beyond. She is a historic and deeply qualified choice to help lead our administration’s health efforts,” Biden said in a statement.

Jennifer Welch, president of Planned Parenthood of America-Illinois, says chief among the firsts, of course, is Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black, Southeast Asian woman to serve in the White House. While this is monumental, there remain major concerns and priorities for women to address.

“Jennifer Welch, president of @PPFA -Illinois, says the #inauguration of @VP #KamalaHarris, the first Black, Southeast Asian woman to serve in the White House is monumental. But there are major concerns and priorities for #women to address. ”

“We are very concerned what the Supreme Court of The United States is going to do,” Welch says, for women’s rights, particularly in access to health care and abortion.

“Our No. 1 priority is thousands of patients could not get their healthcare at Planned Parenthood,” Welch says. “The Hyde Amendment needs to be repealed to give access to healthcare.”

Welch says the the Reach Act is also of great importance, as it “makes sure every public school offers age-appropriate sex education K-12.”

Jackie Kaplan-Perkins, chair of the mayor’s Advisory Council on Women, and former director of Human Rights Watch for Chicago and The Midwest, says, “Some of the big issues are women’s causes, and LGBTQ issues are important. We need to look at the Equality Act and violence against trans individuals is really important.”

She adds a caveat about priorities, “Women have been falling to the bottom of the pile, especially Black and Brown women.”

All 140,000 jobs lost in December were held by women. Even as a new round of PPP loans is in the works, many women entrepreneurs and small business owners continue to be at a disadvantage.

“All 140,000 jobs lost in December were held by women. Even as a new round of PPP loans is in the works, many #womenentrepreneurs and #smallbusiness owners continue to be at a disadvantage. #COVID #recovery”

Read more in Take The Lead on predictions for economic recovery

“Banks have tightened their credit standards and it will take a while before they return to previous levels. The Federal government has approved $12 billion in funding to CDFIs and Minority Designated Institutions (MDIs) as part of its $900 billion COVID-19 emergency stimulus funding package. This includes $3 billion in emergency support through the CDFI Fund to provide grants and other financial and technical assistance and a $9 billion Emergency Capital Investment Program administered by the Department of Treasury to provide low-cost, long-term capital investments to MDIs and CDFI depositories,” Forbes reports. 

Funding for women-owned businesses is still far behind that for men, but there is cause for optimism.

Katica Roy, founder and CEO of Pipeline Equity, writes in Fast Company, “Despite being vastly underfunded, research has proven again and again that female founders are better investments for venture capitalists and their LPs. Yet, in Q3 2020, funding for female founders dropped by 38% year over year, which means 1% of Q3 venture capital funding went to women. That’s the lowest level it’s been in three years.”

Read more in Take The Lead on Katica Roy

Roy adds, “As Vice President Harris reminds us, we have to stop classifying ‘women’s issues’ as niche policy verticals. Women are 51% of the U.S. population and must be viewed as equitable partners in driving economic growth.”

With a new immigration bill proposed offering a path to citizenship for 8 million undocumented Americans, Rebecca Shi, Executive Director of American Business Immigration Coalition, says “protecting the rights of immigrants and refugees” is crucial now. In these communities these are “burdens the women have been carrying.”

“Seventy percent of all undocumented workers are women who work in these sectors,” Shi says. “Legalizing these undocumented workers will mean $1.5 trillion in increases in the GDP and $1.2 billion in consumer consumption.”

Kaplan-Perkins says focusing on Black and Brown business development locally and nationally is a priority. “These businesses by women for women can be a model to lead the nation in a post-pandemic economy.”

“Jackie Kaplan-Perkins, chair of Chicago Mayor @LoriLightfoot ‘s Advisory Council on Women, says focusing on #Black and #Brown #business development locally and nationally is a priority. ”

Lightfoot says women are key in the economic recovery of the city as well as the country as COVID-19 forced economic hardship for so many.

“@LoriLightfoot says #women are key in the #economic #recovery of Chicago as well as the country as #COVID19 forced economic hardship for so many.”

“We have to give women predictable schedules and make sure we don’t forget the importance of working families,” Lightfoot says. “Women are the primary caretakers. We have to create workplaces that reflect the lived experience of women in our city and our country.”

Continuing a tone of optimism and determination, Shi says, “We’re divided because so many felt government was not working for them. I feel this is a fresh start, a reset. Let’s get to work to solve difficult problems facing our nation.” She concludes, “We can do hard things.”

In Washington, D.C., the pomp and circumstance surrounding the inauguration sent a message of gender equity, highlighting the work and talents of many women. In addition to Harris, of course, Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez sang triumphantly, and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor swore in Vice President Harris.

“In Washington, D.C., the pomp and circumstance surrounding the #inauguration sent a message of #genderequity, highlighting the work and talents of many women.”

“When she takes the oath of office, little boys and girls across the world will know anything and everything is possible,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) tells the inauguration audience. “In the end, that is America.”

““When she takes the oath of office, little boys and girls across the world will know anything and everything is possible,”@Amyklobuchar (D-Minn.) tells the inauguration audience. “In the end, that is America.” #KamalaHarris @VP #genderequity”

According to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, “The administration of President Joe Biden will feature the highest number of Cabinet and Cabinet-level offices held by women in history, with 12 of these positions set to be filled by women. If confirmed, women will hold 12 of 25 (48%) Cabinet and Cabinet-level positions in the Biden-Harris administration at its outset. In addition, 8 of the 12 women nominated or elected to these offices are women of color.” See the women designees of the Biden Cabinet here.

For many, the inauguration first of a 22-year-old Black woman to recite a poem as the nation’s Youth Poet Laureate, was the most emotional.

“For many, the #inauguration first of a 22-year-old Black woman to recite a poem as the nation’s Youth Poet Laureate, was the most emotional. @TheAmandaGorman recited these words: “Where can we find light in this never-ending shade?” ”

Amanda Gorman recites these words: "Where can we find light in this never-ending shade?"

She adds, "And yet, the dawn is ours before we knew it. Somehow we do it. Somehow we weathered and witnessed a nation that isn't broken but simply unfinished."

Acknowledging the significance of her role, Gorman says, “In a country and a time where a skinny black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president, only to find herself reciting for one."