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THE WOMEN'S NEWSLETTER

NUMBER: 1
THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICE FOR WOMEN'S INITIATIVES AND OUTREACH
SEPTEMBER 25, 1995

"Looking back from the vantage point of the present, when the contributions and influence of women enrich every facet of our national life, it seems remarkable that as recently as 1920 most American women were still denied their right to full participation in the political activity of this country. Our history continues to remind us that humanity's age-old enemies of ignorance and prejudice are not easily defeated." --President Clinton, Women's Equality Day, 1995, Proclamation
White House Women's Office Goes On Line
Welcome to the first edition of the Pro-Woman/Pro-Family newsletter from the White House Office for Women's Initiatives and Outreach. Every two weeks, we will keep you informed of the pro-woman/pro-family initiatives and activities of the President and his Administration and other events focusing on women. The office is headed by Betsy Myers, director of the new office and deputy assistant to the President. Betsy formerly headed the Office of Women's Business Ownership at the Small Business Administration.

America Goes Back To School
President Clinton and his cabinet Sept. 11-15 fanned out across the country emphasizing that school and education should be a family affair. While the President's balanced budget plan builds on America's commitment to education and protects working families with a $41 billion investment, the GOP wants to cut education by $36 billion to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. Whether it's access to college or access to a quality elementary or high school, education is the key for women to support themselves and their families. Today, the typical college graduate earns 74 percent more than a worker with a high school degree. The women's office held a roundtable at a Chicago school for pregnant teenagers. Two teachers at the school were hired because of the President's fight to keep education funded.

Vice President Meets with Women Leaders
Vice President Gore hosted meetings with local women leaders in Albuquerque on Sept. 20 and in San Francisco on Sept. 21. The Vice President discussed topics of primary concern to the women leaders including child care, domestic violence, the U.N.'s Fourth World Conference on Women and the Washington budget battle.

First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton Brings Home the U.N Fourth World Conference on Women

"We are here to find common ground so that we may help bring new dignity and respect to women and girls all over the world -- and in so doing, bring new strength and stability to families as well." First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, U.N.'s Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, China, Sept. 5. 1995
Upon her return from Beijing, Mrs. Clinton hosted an informal roundtable of working women Sept. 12 at Mrs. K's Toll House restaurant in Silver Spring, Maryland. She met with eight working women from the D.C. area to discuss real family concerns including making ends meet, fear of losing Medicare and Social Security, and access to student loans and business loans.

Mrs. Gore Is Keynote Speaker at Healthy Women 2000 Series Luncheon
Tipper Gore spoke at a Healthy Women 2000 conference Sept. 12 in D.C. on mental illnesses as they affect women and on the need to focus more on the specific health problems of women which have been long neglected. On mental illness, Mrs. Gore told the luncheon gathering: "No longer should families have to suffer the double whammy of an illness and it's stigma."

Healthy Women 2000, a series of health education conferences, focuses on the promotion of good health for American women. The lead sponsor is the Public Health Service Office on Women's Health, directed by Dr. Susan Blumenthal, deputy assistant secretary for health and assistant surgeon general. The series is designed to provide women with the tools and knowledge they need to help them lead long and healthy lives. Mrs. Clinton spoke at a previous conference May 18 entitled "Menopause, Osteoporosis and Health Issues Affecting Women in their Prime Time."

National Women's Vote Day
Over 80 national women's organizations, ranging from the American Association of University Women to the YWCA/USA, have declared Nov. 4 "National Women's Vote Day." This national celebration is part of a coalition initiative, the Women's Vote Project, to encourage women to vote in 1996. For more information write: Women's Vote Project, P.O. Box 34096, Washington, D.C. 20043.

Call Us: The White House Office for Women's Initiatives and Outreach: Betsy Myers, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director; Lisa Ross, Deputy Director. Staff: Peggy Lussier, Carrie Wofford, Judy Gold, Beth Newburger, Ashley Oliver, Mary Dixon.

Office of Women's Initiatives and Outreach. Phone: 202 456-7300; Fax: 202 456-7311
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