President's Advisory Committee for Women

President's Advisory Committee for Women. It was established in 1978 by President Jimmy Carter through Executive Order 12050 to advise the President of the United States on issues affecting American women. The committee was tasked with monitoring the implementation of recommendations from the 1977 National Women's Conference in Houston and promoting the full integration of women into all aspects of American life. Chaired by Lynda Johnson Robb with Judy Carter as vice chair, it operated until its termination in 1981 at the start of the Ronald Reagan administration.

History and establishment

The committee's creation was a direct response to the momentum generated by the historic National Women's Conference, a federally funded event authorized by Public Law 94-167. This conference, part of the larger United Nations Decade for Women, produced a comprehensive National Plan of Action with 25 resolutions on issues like the Equal Rights Amendment and reproductive rights. To ensure these recommendations were not ignored, advocates like Bella Abzug and Congresswoman Margaret Heckler pressured the Carter administration to form a dedicated advisory body. President Carter signed Executive Order 12050 on April 4, 1978, formally establishing the committee within the Executive Office of the President. Its formation reflected the political influence of the women's rights movement during the late 1970s and aimed to maintain a formal channel for feminist policy input at the highest levels of the United States government.

Purpose and objectives

The committee's primary purpose was to provide ongoing advice to the President of the United States on a broad array of policies and programs designed to advance equality for women. Its specific objectives, as outlined in the executive order, included promoting the integration of women into economic, social, and political life and eliminating barriers to their participation. A central mandate was monitoring the implementation of the National Plan of Action across federal agencies like the Department of Labor and the Department of Health and Human Services. The committee also aimed to strengthen federal enforcement of laws like the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and Title IX, while fostering partnerships with state commissions on the status of women and organizations such as the National Organization for Women.

Membership and structure

The committee comprised up to forty members appointed by the President of the United States, representing a diverse cross-section of American women from various professions, geographic regions, and racial backgrounds. Lynda Johnson Robb, daughter of former President Lyndon B. Johnson, was appointed chair, while First Daughter-in-Law Judy Carter served as vice chair. Members included notable figures like Congresswoman Barbara Mikulski, civil rights activist Coretta Scott King, and anthropologist Margaret Mead. The committee was administratively supported by a staff located in the Old Executive Office Building and worked in liaison with the Office of the White House Press Secretary and the Council on Environmental Quality. It often formed subcommittees to focus on specific areas like employment or health.

Key activities and reports

The committee held public hearings and meetings across the country, gathering testimony on issues such as displaced homemakers, child care, and women in small business. Its most significant publication was the 1980 report "Voices for Women," which assessed federal progress on the National Plan of Action and offered new recommendations. The committee actively lobbied for the extension of the ratification deadline for the Equal Rights Amendment and supported the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978. It also worked with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on guidelines for sexual harassment and collaborated with the Department of Education on Title IX compliance. These activities were frequently highlighted in media outlets like The Washington Post and Ms. magazine.

Impact and legacy

Although the committee was disbanded by the incoming Reagan administration in 1981, its impact persisted in several key areas. It helped institutionalize gender analysis within the federal bureaucracy, influencing later bodies like the White House Office on Women's Health. Many of its policy recommendations, particularly regarding economic equity and family law, were later addressed in legislation like the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. The committee's work preserved the momentum of the National Women's Conference and demonstrated the efficacy of a formal advisory structure, a model revisited by subsequent presidents through entities like the White House Council on Women and Girls under President Barack Obama. Its archives, housed at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, remain a vital resource for scholars studying the modern feminist movement in the United States.

Category:Advisory committees in the United States Category:Jimmy Carter administration Category:Women's organizations based in the United States Category:Government agencies established in 1978 Category:Government agencies disestablished in 1981