Biden signs executive orders on gender equity to mark International Women's Day

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers his inaugural address after he was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Jan. 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

WASHINGTON, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Marking the International Women's Day, U.S. President Joe Biden signed two executive orders aimed to promote gender equity on Monday, vowing "to ensure that every domestic and foreign policy we pursue rests on a foundation of dignity and equity for women."

"In our nation, as in all nations, women have fought for justice, shattered barriers, built and sustained economies, carried communities through times of crisis, and served with dignity and resolve," said Biden in a statement.

"Too often, they have done so while being denied the freedom, full participation, and equal opportunity all women are due," the president said, "Their contributions have been downplayed. Their stories have been neglected. That is why International Women's Day is also a time for us to recommit ourselves to the cause of equity and equality for women the world over, and to shine a light on the systemic obstacles that fuel gender disparities and undermine women's potential."

Biden noted that the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted gender inequities since women bearing the brunt of most job losses and caregiving responsibilities in the United States and around the world.

"It (the pandemic)'s forcing millions more girls out of school, which could impact economic growth for decades to come. Incidents of violence against women in their homes and communities have spiked. And, as is so often the case, COVID-19 is hitting the poorest and most marginalized women the hardest," the president lamented.

Latest data showed the COVID-19 pandemic has hit women the hardest -- 2.5 million women left the workforce in 2020 compared with 1.8 million men. The U.S. Department of Labor's February jobs report released on Friday found Black and Hispanic women showed the greatest declines in labor force participation.

The first executive order establishes a Gender Policy Council within the White House, reformulating the White House Council on Women and Girls set up under former President Barack Obama and later disbanded by Donald Trump's administration.

The council will work with all cabinet secretaries and submit an annual report to the president to measure progress on prioritizing gender equality across the government. Biden is likely to name a special assistant to the president and senior adviser on gender-based violence.

The name change to the Gender Policy Council is intentional, council co-chair Jennifer Klein said in a White House briefing on Monday.

"We are very inclusive in our definition of gender," Klein said, "We intend to address all sorts of discrimination and fight for equal rights for people, whether that's LGBTQ+ people, women, girls, men."

The council will specifically make efforts on "policies to advance equity for Black, indigenous and Latina women and girls of color," Klein said.

Another co-chair Julissa Reynoso, who is first lady Jill Biden's chief of staff, said the long-term focuses of the council will include "increasing economic security and opportunity by addressing the structural barriers to women's participation in the labor force; decreasing wage and wealth gaps; and addressing the caregiving needs of American families and supporting care workers."

Full participation of women and girls in society is "essential to the economic well-being, health and security of our nation and the world. This is a matter of human rights, justice and fairness." said Reynoso.

The second executive order seeks to reverse a controversial regulation by the Trump administration that granted more rights and protections to those accused of sexual assault or harassment on campus.

The order directs the Education Department to review all existing regulations to guarantee "an educational environment free from discrimination on the basis of sex, including discrimination in the form of sexual harassment, which encompasses sexual violence, and including discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity."

Newly confirmed Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona can consider "suspending, revising, or rescinding" its regulations violating that policy, the order says, suggesting that Trump-era changes to Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in education, would be halted.

Also on Monday, Biden nominated two women to be four-star generals. He picked General Jacqueline Van Ovost, current commander of Air Mobility Command for the U.S. Air Force, to be commander for the U.S. Transportation Command, and Lt. General Laura Richardson, current commanding general of U.S. Army North, to be commander for the U.S. Southern Command.

If confirmed, Ovost and Richardson will become the second and third women to lead a combatant command, said local media reports.

"On International Women's Day, let us recommit to the principle that our nation, and the world, is at its best when the possibilities for all of our women and girls are limitless," Biden said in his statement.