Apr 2021-“The First 100 Days of the Biden/Harris Administration: Accomplishments, Challenges and Issues”

Tuesday, April 27, 2021, 12:00-1:30 pm via Zoom
Registration Link

The Clearinghouse on Women’s Issues is delighted to offer an examination into the actions of the first
months of the Biden/Harris Team. The foci will be on economics, civil rights, education and the
transition requests for the priorities on women’s and family issues. Many of us worked hard to ensure
that 2020 elections would bring about a change in the administration and the direction in which our
country and our society were moving. Through pandemic and voting rights challenges, we persevered
and, in fact, were able to bring a fresh perspective and reasoning to the highest level of US Government.
We want to know what the administration is accountable for and what remains to be done.
Accountability for all the projected changes promised is being demanded.

Shiwali Patel, Director of Justice for Student Survivors & Senior Counsel at the
National Women’s Law Center
will address the gains made on the recognition and
elimination of sexual harassment and sexual assault. Following #MeTOO as well as the
latest reports from the Governor’s office in New York, the threat of harassment or
actual assault has raised the consciousness of many people and moved legislative
action. But more is needed. Most recently, NWLC published NWLC Leads Civil Rights
Brief in Support of Students’ Rights to Be Free from Harassment and Unfair Discipline.

Ariane Hegewisch, Senior Research Fellow at IWPR, will discuss the economic progress in the
first one hundred days. IWPR has done the research to expose the economic impact of
covid on women and families, especially women of color and the steps needed to help
women overcome the struggles of fair pay, job preparation and “glass ceilings.”. How it
will affect gender equality has been discussed in the recent IWPR Report, BUILD(ING)
THE FUTURE: BOLD POLICIES FOR A GENDER-EQUITABLE RECOVERY

Mindy Grimes-Festge, Secretary/Treasurer of the United Teachers of Dade, will discuss
the educational needs of students, especially the impact of the forced virtual learning in
the face of the pandemic and re-opening schools safely.

UTD has been advocating for state and federal resources to support students’ social and emotional needs in addition to legislation and regulation focused on public health and economic recovery. The predominantly female workforce is facing stigmatization for advocating for healthy schools and state legislative attacks against its very existence.

Finally, Jeanette Lim Esbrook, CWI Vice President, Legal Affairs will provide the list of women President Biden has appointed or nominated for leadership positions in his administration during the first 100 Days.