BACKGROUND

THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICE FOR WOMEN'S INITIATIVES AND OUTREACH

On June 5, 1995, President Clinton announced the appointment of Betsy Myers to head the first White House Office For Women's Initiatives and Outreach. The office was created by the President to better serve and listen to his constituents. It serves as a liaison between the White House and women's organizations, listening to women's concerns and proposals and bringing these ideas to the President and others in the Administration. Inside and outside of the White House, the office advocates for issues that are important to women.

The office schedules events and speeches for White House officials and presidential appointees and holds events and roundtables to amplify the President's pro-woman/pro-family agenda. It serves as a clearinghouse on women and family issues, publishing a biweekly newsletter discussing activities by the President, Vice President and other Administration officials working on women and family issues.

The office's primary initiative, called At the Table, is a series of roundtables across the nation with women and Administration officials to ensure that women's voices are heard at policy tables. The office has held several roundtable and media events including the President's Violence Against Women White House event October 2, 1995; the President's and First Lady's Suffrage celebration in Wyoming on August 26, 1995; a series of roundtables hosted by the First Lady on working women's issues; meetings with women leaders and the Vice President in San Francisco and Albuquerque; a meeting hosted by Mrs. Gore for labor women leaders; a meeting with women presidential appointees and Dr. Laura Tyson on the impact of the proposed Republican budget; Attorney General Janet Reno's discussion with businesses and families on the Family & Medical Leave Act; and a roundtable in the White House on the U.N. Fourth World Conference on Women, focusing on domestic economic needs.

(November 7, 1995)