Advancing gender equality is critical to the success of families, communities, and the nation. As country celebrates the progress it has made thus far—including historic firsts such as the elevation of Vice President Kamala Harris as the first woman, Black person, and Indian American person to serve in the second-highest office in the land—it’s also clear that the work to achieve equity, fairness, and justice for all women is far from done.
Too many women—across race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, and economic level—still face obstacles that limit their opportunities, impede their progress, and interfere with their ability to lead healthy and productive lives.
The Biden-Harris administration and all policymakers must advance concrete solutions to address these problems at all levels—whether it’s the gender wage gap, racism in maternal health care, lack of access to reproductive health care, increasing rates of gender-based violence, or the double standards deployed to hamstring women of color in positions of power.
Only then can the country make meaningful progress for women—and all people.
Navigating the Road Ahead in the Fight for Women’s Progress
The Biden-Harris administration took key strides toward gender equity in its first 100 days, but achieving future progress will require an intentional focus on combating systemic barriers, entrenched biases, and a status quo that continues to preserve and perpetuate long-standing disparities.
Building on the ACA: Administrative Actions to Improve Maternal Health
The United States’ maternal health crisis demands federal and state action to improve coverage, the delivery of care, and pregnancy outcomes. The cost of inaction will almost certainly be dire.
The Biden administration should restart the collection of employer pay data, convene a new interagency equal pay task force, undertake an initiative to promote greater pay transparency, and designate more funding for enforcement of equal pay protections in order to regain lost ground and make progress for working women.
Policymakers must go beyond baseline legal protections to treat abortion as the essential health care service it is, ensuring meaningful access to abortion for all and removing barriers put in place to circumvent Roe v. Wade.
The United States urgently needs a comprehensive paid family and medical leave program that will boost the health and economic well-being of American workers and families.
