Remarks on Signing Executive Order 12138 and a Memorandum Concerning Government Programs on Women's Business Enterprise

THE PRESIDENT. I've gotten permission to say just a word before I sign the Executive order. [Laughter]

I consider this to be a very important and a very significant action on my part as President of our country.

One of the constant struggles in our society, ever since our Nation was formed, has been to eliminate discrimination, not only legal and overt discrimination but also a kind that's much more difficult to detect, to prove, and to correct. And today I think we're taking that kind of step.

There was a superb task force report, which many of you hold in your hands, called "The Bottom Line," pointing out in tangible form the discrimination that does exist in our free country against women who are involved directly in business.

I know many women—some who are married, some who are not—who have the full responsibility on their shoulders of supporting a family and providing a future life for children that might be acceptable. And almost invariably they have found it very difficult to achieve equal treatment in the business world. Part of this, I think, is a kind of oversight by American society; part of it is deliberate; part of it derives from intense competition, where newcomers are seldom welcomed to the entrepreneur field.

Government quite often mirrors almost exactly those attitudes in private business, and I think that we've addressed it in the proper fashion. Government can set an example. Unfortunately, it hasn't in the past.

I've seen many reports, long before I got involved in politics, about the amount of national wealth, the actual holding of cash or reserves or bonds or stocks by women; I think perhaps more than 50 percent, even. But as far as the ownership and control of the business community, the active business opportunities in our Nation, women only hold about 4.6 percent of the businesses. And more than half those are tiny, having an annual income, gross income, of less than $5,000. So, we've only scratched the surface, really, in opening up legitimate opportunities for women who are equally competent, sometimes more competent than the men who are present or future competitors.

On my staff, Anne Wexler, Sarah Weddington are very eager to work with you. Pat Cloherty, as you know, headed up the previous study group. All of you have participated. Some of you, many of you I know personally as being extremely effective in politics, in government, in social service, in benevolent work. And many of you are at least equally as competent already, proven by your actions and achievements in the business world. Others among you who have a high profile, who are well recognized, who are intensely competitive, highly competent, knowledgeable, have not been as successful in business perhaps as you should have been.

Today, I'm signing an Executive order that has been very carefully prepared by highly interested people and approved by my legal staff in the Justice Department, Office of Management and Budget, that will direct— [laughter] —all of the agencies in the Federal Government to set a high priority for themselves of seeking in an innovative fashion to find opportunities for enhancing the achievements of women in the business field, in contracts directly with Federal Government agencies, to seek out an affirmative action attitude, opportunities to increase business or trade with women. Some agencies are already taking action. They are to be congratulated. But others will now be directed to take the first steps, and those that already have experience are encouraged or directed to take additional steps.

I would like to recruit all of you to join in with me in ensuring that this Executive order is carried out with enthusiasm. And I hope that you will bring to the attention of Anne or Sarah directly or me, if you see fit, Jack Watson, anyone else who works with me, any evidence of discrimination or any absence of enthusiastic compliance with this Executive order. Don't just take for granted that the signing of an Executive order is an accomplishment or an end in itself. It's the first tentative step toward what can be substantial achievement. We've experienced this already in the last 2 years.

We passed the first legislation that required, for instance, in local public works contracts, that 10 percent of those contracts should go to minority-owned businesses. Almost every one of my Cabinet officers, when they first saw that proposal from me, said this will be very difficult to achieve. Most of them have exceeded that requirement. We set as a goal for ourselves to triple purchases by the Government from minority-owned businesses, of file cabinets, paper, other things that the Government uses. And we set as a goal for ourselves in 1980, $3 billion worth of Government purchases from minority owned businesses. Almost everyone said, "Can't do it." We will meet that goal.

I would like to make one final comment. It would be a mistake to think that the enhancement of women business opportunities will interfere in the enhancement of opportunities for minorities in our country, who also have the same problem. I think the two will be mutually supportive, because when you arouse the consciousness of the private world and the government world to the need to eliminate discrimination, and let minority women, for instance, join in with those who are not in the minority category, who are women, they can be mutually supportive. I hope that you will help me detect and root out the last remnants of racial or sex discrimination within our Government and within the private enterprise system of our country.

So, as I sign this document, I would like to assume that you will be partners with me in making sure that the provisions of the document are carried out with enthusiasm. I don't think you'll find my directors of agencies to be reluctant. But I know they would appreciate constructive advice and constructive criticism from you in how they can do a better job to make our Nation fairer and our whole system to be filled with simple justice, which, for many years, it has lacked.

[At this point, the President signed the Executive order.]

Now it's time for everybody to go to work. [Laughter]

Ms. HARVEY. Thank you, Mr. President.

This time last year, we welcomed your renewed personal support for the development of a national policy to assist women entrepreneurs. Today, your signature on this Executive order confirms your continuing support and that of your administration to this important objective.

This order establishes a landmark effort to welcome American women into the mainstream of our business and economic life.

On behalf of all my colleagues, I confirm our strong appreciation to you, to members of your administration, to our friends in the Congress, and to our colleagues in the private sector who have given us their sustained support and cooperation.

MS. CLOHERTY. Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT. Yes, ma'am? [Laughter]

MS. CLOHERTY. I know this is a serious moment, but I want to tell you one funny thing. I thought you'd like to know that the taxi driver who brought me here from the airport asked if you were having a fashion show at the White House today. [Laughter]

THE PRESIDENT. What did you tell him?

MS. CLOHERTY. I told him what was happening. And he sends his greetings. [Laughter]

Luckily for all of us, more and more women are choosing to use their talents in the private profit-making sector. And business ownership, as you know, is a substantive undertaking in which negative sex stereotypes have no place, but accomplishments do.

The approach to Government assistance you have approved today is practical and realistic. It is a fine starting point for accelerating this important economic happening of women moving into the marketplace. In particular, its stress on providing skills and know-how, not on direct subsidies, responds to the requirements both of women entrepreneurs and of business. If well done, I think the Government effort should more than pay for itself in results from successful enterprises.

On behalf of businesswomen, may I thank you and your smart—that's these people—smart and dedicated team and all others in and outside government who have helped with this effort. Thank you.

THE PRESIDENT. I might say that we are not doing women a favor today, I think we're doing our Nation a favor.

And I'd like to add one other comment. Within, I believe, every single agency in the Government now, there is a highly qualified, top executive who is a woman, and many women in most agencies. And I hope that you will contact them directly. Some of them, of course, are here, so they can kind of be a monitoring point for you. And I will tell all of my Cabinet the next meeting I have, Monday, to expect this and to look on it with favor, because you might find it easier to approach them or you may not. But I think that we need kind of a secret, inside analysis going on in addition to your monitoring, sometimes from the outside.

Thank you very much. I'm very proud of this.