WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Organizations and Leaders Applaud Historic First-Ever National Gender Strategy

On Friday, the Biden-Harris Administration announced our nation's first-ever national gender strategy. It is the first whole-of-government effort to advance gender equity and equality, marshalling the capacity of every department and agency across the federal government. The strategy addresses and advances gender equality through both domestic and foreign policy and will close gender gaps and improve lives both at home and abroad.

You can read the fact sheet HEREand view the strategy HERE, which includes a cover letter from the President and Vice President.

Leaders from across the country underscored the importance of this historic strategy.

See below for what they are saying:

Democratic Women's Caucus - Co-Chairs Congresswomen Jackie Speier (CA-14), Lois Frankel (FL-21), and Brenda Lawrence (MI-14), and Vice Chairs Congresswomen Veronica Escobar (TX-16) and Sylvia Garcia (TX-29)
"This is a comprehensive and intersectional strategy that targets key issues women all over the world face, including economic security and gender-based violence, to health and education disparities, and climate change, while considering the heightened impacts of further racial and gender discrimination faced by so many women today. Our caucus remains committed to fighting for equality for all women, and we look forward to working with the Biden-Harris Administration to fully support this strategy". [Press Release, 10/22/21]

Hillary Rodham Clinton
"Today's release of the first-ever Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality makes clear: advancing gender equity and equality is fundamental to every individual's safety, well-being, and ability to exercise basic rights." [Tweet, 10/22/21]

Melinda French Gates
"Such an important milestone and a critical step in the right direction. Gender equity and equality are foundational to the economic strength, security, and overall health of our country and our world. This is how we build back better." [Tweet, 10/22/21]

Valerie Jarrett
"Today is the release of the first-ever Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality! Highlighting that advancing gender equity and equality is fundamental to every individual's economic security, safety, health, & well-being." [Tweet, 10/22/21]

Tina Tchen
"This is a comprehensive vision for gender equity here and around the globe. It's the road map we need to build a better future!" [Tweet, 10/22/21]

Billie Jean King
"Cheers to the Biden-Harris administration on releasing the first-ever U.S. Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality. Gender equity and equality affects all people's economic security, safety, health, and well-being." [Tweet, 10/22/21]

Fatima Goss Graves, President and CEO, National Women's Law Center
"The strategy outlined by the White House and the Gender Policy Council is a reminder of what is possible when you dedicate the full force of our government towards furthering gender equity. Every agency in the federal government has a role to play in helping every woman and girl thrive, ensuring our daughters and granddaughters will inherit institutions that work for them by making their lives safer and more prosperous." [Press Release, 10/22/21]

Alexis McGill Johnson, President and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America
"A core component of gender equity is reproductive freedom, but right now, the right to access safe, legal abortion is hanging by a thread… We are thrilled that the Biden-Harris administration is continuing to put these issues at the forefront and is prepared to use all the levers of the federal government to put gender equity front and center in health care, housing, economic opportunities, foreign policy, and more. [Press Release, 10/22/21]

Ai-jen Poo, Executive Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance
"The only way to achieve big goals is to have a strategy. Now, for the first time, we have a National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality. A real milestone, important for accountability & measuring progress." [Tweet, 10/23/21]

Jocelyn Frye, Senior Fellow, Women's Initiative, Center for American Progress
"… This national strategy also recognizes the unique threats confronting women in the face of endless state attacks that threaten their constitutional right to access abortion and potentially other constitutional protections, which would turn back the clock on decades of progress. Finally, the plan recognizes the threats of gender-based violence to women's safety at home and abroad, a longstanding problem that has been exacerbated during the economic strife brought on by the pandemic." [Press Release, 10/22/21]

Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Executive Director/CEO & Co-Founder, MomsRising Together & MomsRising Education Fund
"Celebrating that for the first time, our country has a National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality that will help our nation take the leaps forward we need to end discrimination for this generation and generations to come." [Tweet, 10/23/21]

United State of Women
"This is groundbreaking! Today, the White House released the first-ever National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality to ensure that gender equity and equality are integrated throughout the Biden-Harris Administration's domestic and foreign policy." [Tweet, 10/22/21]

Melanie Campbell, National Convener, Black Women's Roundtable
"Thank you to @potus @VP @whitehouseGPC for your leadership and commitment to racial and gender justice, equity & equality!" [Tweet, 10/22/21]

Debra L. Ness, President, National Partnership for Women and Families
"We applaud President Biden and Vice President Harris for issuing the first-ever National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality… We commend The Administration for developing a strategy which acknowledges the disproportionate effects of this pandemic on women of color; lifts up the need for an economy with care at the center; the importance of the inclusion of health care as a right; the necessity of health equity in the fight to cut down maternal mortality as well as protecting abortion access; and the inclusion of gender-based violence, notably during this Domestic Violence Awareness Month." [Press Release, 10/22/21]

Institute of Women's Policy Research
"Today @IWPResearch applauds the Biden admin's Gender Policy Council on its release of a historic gender equity strategy that will cut across federal agencies & improve the well-being of women & girls on key indicators — health, economic, & safety" [Tweet, 10/22/21]

Marcela Howell, President and CEO, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda
"We commend President Biden and Vice President Harris for introducing a comprehensive new strategy for gender equity and equality. Like the lives we live, the administration's new strategy is intersectional, addressing longstanding and deeply rooted systemic barriers to equity, equality and justice — especially those faced by Black women, femmes, girls and gender-expansive people." [Press Release, 10/22/21]

Dina Bakst and Sherry Lewiant, Co-Founders & Co-Presidents, A Better Balance
"A Better Balance applauds The National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality for its ambitious agenda for the Biden Administration and those to come. With this roadmap, our nation can close pernicious gender gaps and propel us toward a world with equal opportunity for all people." [Press Release, 10/22/21]

National Organization for Women
"Building this comprehensive plan to address gender-based violence, economic security, health, education, immigration, and climate change is essential. These issues are intersecting and need to be addressed. Let's continue to build strategies with women children at the forefront!" [Tweet, 10/22/21]

Adrienne Kimmell, Acting President, NARAL Pro-Choice America
"We are pleased to see the White House Gender Policy Council make this historic commitment to gender equity and ensuring reproductive freedom." [Press Release, 10/22/21]

Center for Reproductive Rights
"@WhiteHouseGPC's National Strategy on Gender Equity & Equality set forth a comprehensive agenda to advance gender equity and equality in domestic & foreign policy—and demonstrates that families, communities and nations around the world stand to benefit." [Tweet, 10/22/21]

All* Above All
"We love to see it ? today's @WhiteHouseGPC
strategy puts forth a BOLD agenda for gender equity and equality that doesn't leave ANYONE behind." [Tweet, 10/22/21]

Justice for Migrant Women
"We look forward to working w/ @WhiteHouseGPC to keep fighting for a world where #migrantwomen & families can thrive. Today's release shows that advancing gender equity & equality is fundamental to everyone's economic security, safety, health, well-being." [Tweet, 10/22/21]

Monica Johnson Hostler, President, National Alliance to End Sexual Violence
"We're cheering the release of the first-ever, government-wide strategy to comprehensively address gender equity and equality and applaud the plan's intersectional approach. Leadership is key to ending sexual violence, and we're excited to work with the White House Gender Policy Council on the implementation of this strategy, especially on addressing and preventing gender-based violence." [Press Release, 10/22/21]

National Network to End Domestic Violence
"Today's release of the first-ever US Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality highlights that advancing gender equity and equality is fundamental to every individual's economic security, safety, health, well-being, and ability to exercise their most basic rights." [Tweet, 10/22/21]

National Taskforce to End Sexual and Domestic Violence
"Deep gratitude to @WhiteHouseGPC for the release of the National Strategy on Gender Equity & Equality!" [Tweet, 10/22/21]

Futures Without Violence
"Thank you @WhiteHouseGPC and @POTUS for prioritizing women and girls with the new National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality. The Biden-Harris Admin. is fulfilling their promises to fight GBV and advance the rights, health, safety & economic well-being of women and girls." [Tweet, 10/22/21]

Alliance for Immigrant Survivors
"It's great to see that the needs of #immigrantsurvivors are incorporated in the
@WhiteHouse's Gender Equity & Equality strategy. We're looking forward to ongoing dialogue about specific steps that federal agencies can take to advance justice and equity for immigrant survivors!" [Tweet, 10/22/21]

Camille Cooper, Vice President of Public Policy, RAINN
"We welcome the commitment to fighting sexual violence in the Biden Administration's National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality. The approach outlined will bring the full power of the federal government to bear on sexual violence issues impacting women and girls, particularly in historically under-served communities such as Native American communities, communities of color, immigrant communities, the disabled community and the LGBTQ+ community." [Press Release, 10/22/21]

End Rape on Campus
"We are excited for @WhiteHouseGPC's 1st ever National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality, a comprehensive and intersectional plan that seeks to address a myriad of issues including eliminating GBV, #TitleIX, reproductive + mental health, immigration, climate, STEM, etc." [Tweet, 10/22/21

ValorUS
"The second strategic priority is to "Eliminate Gender-Based Violence" which includes the need to "Increase Prevention Efforts to Reduce the Incidence of Gender-Based Violence." [Tweet, 10/22/21]

Girls for Gender Equity
"After a summer of collaboration with @WhiteHouseGPC, we're excited to see their new National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality! This is the first ever national strategy of its kind, and A National Agenda for Black Girls was critical in getting us here." [Tweet, 10/22/21]

YWCA
"… We are pleased to see many of our priorities - including a focus on #GenderBasedViolence, health, and economic security, as well as their intentional focus to ensure that the recommendations are intersectional and recognize all identities." [Tweet, 10/22/21]

Alliance for Girls
"Amazing news! The United States has launched the first-ever National Gender Strategy to advance the full participation of all women and girls in the United States and around the world, with an intersectional approach #RaiseYourVoice4Girls" [Tweet, 10/22/21]

Janti Soeripto, President and CEO, Save the Children
"The release of the first U.S. National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality calls for celebration! @SavetheChildren is committed and excited to work with the @WhiteHouseGPC to ensure this strategy translates into concrete and transformational progress for girls worldwide." [Tweet, 10/22/21]

International Rescue Committee – GBV Responders' Network
"The new - and 1st ever - National Strategy on Gender Equity & Equality importantly includes efforts the Biden-Harris Admin will take to improve response for women & girls in #humanitarian contexts & to #GBV everywhere. Looking forward to strong implementation!" [Tweet, 10/22/21]

CARE
"This strategy addresses the harsh realities that women and people with non-conforming gender identities face day in and day out." - Ritu Sharma, CARE VP of US Programs and Policy [Tweet, 10/22/21]

Planned Parenthood Global
"The Biden-Harris administration released the first-ever National Gender Equity and Equality Strategy. We celebrate this major initiative that will further re-establish U.S. global leadership in sexual and reproductive health and rights around the world. #SRHR" [Tweet, 10/22/21]

Women in Global Health
"Women in Global Health was one of the 250 non-profits that inputted into the strategy
We are thrilled to say majority of our inputs reflected in the National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality." [Tweet, 10/22/21]

Together For Girls
"Together for Girls applauds the launch of the first-ever United States National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality, and the strong focus on addressing gender-based violence as central to reducing inequality. This is a critical step toward creating a world in which every person, regardless of gender, can realize their full potential." [Press Release, 10/22/21]

Meredith Jacobs, CEO, Jewish Women International
"Jewish Women International applauds the leadership that the Biden administration and the White House Gender Policy Council are showing in releasing the National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality. The strategy engages every level of the government to ensure that gender equity and equality are guiding principles in decision-making across agencies." [Tweet, 10/22/21]

Women's Funding Network
"As an international philanthropic alliance dedicated to gender equity, we are thrilled to see the @WhiteHouse administration release their first ever strategy [on] gender equity and equality. #equity #Equality" [Tweet, 10/22/21]

Women's World Banking
"Women's World Banking fully supports the Biden-Harris Administration's plan to advance gender equity and equality. It is critical that women, as an untapped market, play a key role in the Administration's strategy to promote #financialinclusion & close the gender wealth gap." [Tweet, 10/22/21]