The past four years have been years of rapid advancement for women. Our
focus has been two-fold: to provide American women with a full range of
opportunities and to make them a part of the mainstream of every aspect of
our national life and leadership.
I have appointed a record number of women to judgeships and to top
government posts. Fully 22 percent of all my appointees are women, and I
nominated 41 of the 46 women who sit on the Federal bench today. For the
first time in our history, women occupy policymaking positions at the
highest level of every Federal agency and department and have demonstrated
their ability to serve our citizens well.
We have strengthened the rights of employed women by consolidating and
strengthening enforcement of sex discrimination laws under the EEOC, by
expanding employment rights of pregnant women through the Pregnancy
Disability Bill, and by increasing federal employment opportunities for
women through civil service reform, and flexi-time and part-time
employment.
By executive order, I created the first national program to provide women
businessowners with technical assistance, grants, loans, and improved
access to federal contracts.
We have been sensitive to the needs of women who are homemakers. I
established an Office of Families within HHS and sponsored the White House
Conference on Families. We initiated a program targeting CETA funds to help
displaced homemakers. The Social Security system was amended to eliminate
the widow's penalty and a comprehensive study of discriminatory provisions
and possible changes was presented to Congress. Legislation was passed to
give divorced spouses of foreign service officers rights to share in
pension benefits.
We created an office on domestic violence within HHS to coordinate the 12
agencies that now have domestic violence relief programs, and to distribute
information on the problem and the services available to victims.
Despite a stringent budget for FY 1981, the Administration consistently
supported the Women's Educational Equity Act and family planning
activities, as well as other programs that affect women, such as food
stamps, WIC, and social security.
We have been concerned not only about the American woman's opportunities,
but ensuring equality for women around the world. In November, 1980, I sent
to the Senate the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women. This United Nations document is the most
comprehensive and detailed international agreement which seeks the
advancement of women.
On women's issues, I have sought the counsel of men and women in and out of
government and from all regions of our country. I established two panels--
the President's Advisory Committee for Women and the Interdepartmental Task
Force on Women--to advise me on these issues. The mandate for both groups
expired on December 31, but they have left behind a comprehensive review of
the status of women in our society today. That review provides excellent
guidance for the work remaining in our battle against sex discrimination.
Even though we have made progress, much remains on the agenda for women. I
remain committed to the Equal Rights Amendment and will continue to work
for its passage. It is essential to the goal of bringing America's women
fully into the mainstream of American life that the ERA be ratified.
The efforts begun for women in employment, business and education should be
continued and strengthened. Money should be available to states to
establish programs to help the victims of domestic violence. Congress
should pass a national health care plan and a welfare reform program, and
these measures should reflect the needs of women.
The talents of women should continue to be used to the fullest inside and
outside of government, and efforts should continue to see that they have
the widest range of opportunities and options.