Presidential Documents

11271 

Federal Register 

Vol. 74, No. 49 

Monday, March 16, 2009 

Title 3— 

The President 

Executive Order 13506 of March 11, 2009 

Establishing a White House Council on Women And Girls 

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the 

laws of the United States of America, I hereby order as follows: 

Section 1. Policy. Over the past generation, our society has made tremendous 

progress in eradicating barriers to women’s success. A record number of 

women are attending college and graduate school. Women make up a growing 

share of our workforce, and more women are corporate executives and 

business owners than ever before, helping boost the U.S. economy and 

foster U.S. competitiveness around the world. Today, women are serving 

at the highest levels of all branches of our Government. 

Despite this progress, certain inequalities continue to persist. On average, 

American women continue to earn only about 78 cents for every dollar 

men make, and women are still significantly underrepresented in the science, 

engineering, and technology fields. Far too many women lack health insurance, and many are unable to take time off to care for a new baby or 

an ailing family member. Violence against women and girls remains a global 

epidemic. The challenge of ensuring equal educational opportunities for 

women and girls endures. As the current economic crisis has swept across 

our Nation, women have been seriously affected. 

These issues do not concern just women. When jobs do not offer family 

leave, that affects men who wish to help care for their families. When 

women earn less than men for the same work, that affects families who 

have to work harder to make ends meet. When our daughters do not have 

the same educational and career opportunities as our sons, that affects 

entire communities, our economy, and our future as a Nation. 

The purpose of this order is to establish a coordinated Federal response 

to issues that particularly impact the lives of women and girls and to 

ensure that Federal programs and policies address and take into account 

the distinctive concerns of women and girls, including women of color 

and those with disabilities. 

Sec. 2. White House Council on Women and Girls. There is established 

within the Executive Office of the President a White House Council on 

Women and Girls (Council). 

(a) Membership of the Council. The Council shall consist of the following 

members: 

(1) the Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison, who shall serve as Chair of the 

Council; 

(2) the Secretary of State; 

(3) the Secretary of the Treasury; 

(4) the Secretary of Defense; 

(5) the Attorney General; 

(6) the Secretary of the Interior; 

(7) the Secretary of Agriculture; 

(8) the Secretary of Commerce; 

(9) the Secretary of Labor; 

(10) the Secretary of Health and Human Services; 

(11) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; 

(12) the Secretary of Transportation; 

(13) the Secretary of Energy; 

11272 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 49 / Monday, March 16, 2009 / Presidential Documents 

(14) the Secretary of Education; 

(15) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; 

(16) the Secretary of Homeland Security; 

(17) the Representative of the United States of America to the United 

Nations; 

(18) the United States Trade Representative; 

(19) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget; 

(20) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; 

(21) the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers; 

(22) the Director of the Office of Personnel Management; 

(23) the Administrator of the Small Business Administration; 

(24) the Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy 

Council; 

(25) the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Director 

of the National Economic Council; and 

(26) the heads of such other executive branch departments, agencies, 

and offices as the President may, from time to time, designate. 

A member of the Council may designate, to perform the Council functions 

of the member, a senior-level official who is a part of the member’s 

department, agency, or office, and who is a full-time officer or employee 

of the Federal Government. At the direction of the Chair, the Council 

may establish subgroups consisting exclusively of Council members or 

their designees under this section, as appropriate. 

(b) Administration of the Council. The Department of Commerce shall 

provide funding and administrative support for the Council to the extent 

permitted by law and within existing appropriations. The Chair shall 

convene regular meetings of the Council, determine its agenda, and direct 

its work. The Chair shall designate an Executive Director of the Council, 

who shall coordinate the work of the Council and head any staff assigned 

to the Council. 

Sec. 3. Mission and Functions of the Council. The Council shall work 

across executive departments and agencies to provide a coordinated Federal 

response to issues that have a distinct impact on the lives of women and 

girls, including assisting women-owned businesses to compete internationally 

and working to increase the participation of women in the science, engineering, and technology workforce, and to ensure that Federal programs and 

policies adequately take those impacts into account. The Council shall be 

responsible for providing recommendations to the President on the effects 

of pending legislation and executive branch policy proposals; for suggesting 

changes to Federal programs or policies to address issues of special importance to women and girls; for reviewing and recommending changes to 

policies that have a distinct impact on women in the Federal workforce; 

and for assisting in the development of legislative and policy proposals 

of special importance to women and girls. The functions of the Council 

are advisory only. 

Sec. 4. Outreach. Consistent with the objectives set out in this order, the 

Council, in accordance with applicable law, in addition to regular meetings, 

shall conduct outreach with representatives of nonprofit organizations, State 

and local government agencies, elected officials, and other interested persons 

that will assist with the Council’s development of a detailed set of recommendations. 

Sec. 5. Federal Interagency Plan. The Council shall, within 150 days of 

the date of this order, develop and submit to the President a Federal interagency plan with recommendations for interagency action consistent with 

the goals of this order. The Federal interagency plan shall include an assessment by each member executive department, agency, or office of the status 

and scope of its efforts to further the progress and advancement of women 

and girls. Such an assessment shall include a report on the status of any 

offices or programs that have been created to develop, implement, or monitor 

targeted initiatives concerning women or girls. The Federal interagency plan 

shall also include recommendations for issues, programs, or initiatives that 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 49 / Monday, March 16, 2009 / Presidential Documents 11273 

should be further evaluated or studied by the Council. The Council shall 

review and update the Federal interagency plan periodically, as appropriate, 

and shall present to the President any updated recommendations or findings. 

Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) The heads of executive departments and 

agencies shall assist and provide information to the Council, consistent 

with applicable law, as may be necessary to carry out the functions of 

the Council. Each executive department and agency shall bear its own expense for participating in the Council. 

(b) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: 

(i) authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or 

the head thereof; or 

(ii) functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 

relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. 

(c) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and 

subject to the availability of appropriations. 

(d) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or 

benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by 

any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, 

its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. 

THE WHITE HOUSE, 

March 11, 2009. 

[FR Doc. E9–5802 

Filed 3–13–09; 11:15 am] 

Billing code 3195–W9–P 


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