In 2009, NASW was pleased to see President Obama build a diverse Cabinet and even participated as a co-sponsor in the celebration of Women Appointees of the Obama Administration. Conversely, since returning from the holidays the President has made four high level appointments all of which are white men. With the departures of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, and Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Lisa Jackson, women are becoming underrepresented in the Obama Administration. It has also been reported that there are four additional appointment positions that will need to be filled in the immediate future and the individuals being considered are, again, all white men.
NASW is concerned with the change in direction the President is taking and urges him to appoint women, of all ethnicities, to Cabinet positions or high level federal positions. During a time when women are being disproportionately impacted by the economy and struggling to take care of their families and obtain affordable health care, it is essential that women have many voices within the Executive Branch. As these positions need to be filled, we hold the President to the precedent he set in 2009.
