During their campaign, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris offered an ambitious platform for women’s rights focused on health care, economic security, work and family, violence against women, global women’s rights and ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Feminist lawmakers and activists are optimistic that the Biden-Harris administration will follow through on these promises to improve women’s lives and bring strong action for gender justice and racial equality.
On the eve of the January 20 inauguration, Ms. spoke with feminists about their hopes for the Biden-Harris administration.
“People Are Policy”: Women at the Leadership Table
Donald Trump presided over the most white and male administration of any recent president. Feminists praised Biden’s picks for leadership positions in his administration and were hopeful about the impact of this more diverse leadership.
"...It does make a difference when women are at the leadership table,” said Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), the newly elected Democratic Assistant Speaker in the U.S. House of Representatives., who celebrates the historic election of Harris. “The priorities change. So much of what we need is diversity of gender, race, ethnicity and geography, because those different life experiences and perspectives develop an agenda that really puts racial, gender and economic justice at the center.”
“Meaningful policy change is much more possible when people with diverse viewpoints come to the table,” said Latifa Lyles, executive director of TIME’S UP. “We have a unique opportunity to move forward right now because of an unprecedented number of diverse voices at the table.”
Current Moment Is an Opportunity
The combination of Trump’s rollbacks of women’s rights, the COVID pandemic and the resultant economic collapse has created a perfect storm—a care crisis—that is producing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change the very structures of society, said Rep. Clark. She says that economic recovery hinges on restructuring the economy to address the care crisis and gaping inequalities.
“The pandemic exposed all the frailties of our systems,” Rep. Clark told Ms. “We all want to have the health of the nation restored, but we aren’t going to get there if we don’t make these investments in childcare. Paid sick leave, racial justice, reproductive rights—all are pieces of rebuilding a stronger economy. It was brewing just beneath the surface but now we just simply cannot turn a blind eye to it if we are serious about an economic recovery for this country.”
Clark believes that Biden’s care agenda will bring about a “care revolution” that is long overdue.
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