GenderAvenger Weighs In On Women In the Biden-Harris Administration
When the news of an all-women Biden/Harris administration communications team broke, the GenderAvenger team got to talking. Should we be skeptical because the all-women team happens to be Communications, a field typically dominated by women? Should we feel hopeful because the administration leadership includes diverse, smart, powerful women? What does this mean for future leaders in all industries? We decided to put pen to paper (or rather fingers to keyboard) and jot down our thoughts on women in the Biden/Harris administration.
Gina
I am known for disliking all-women panels because I believe that, sadly, to be seen as important, women have to be viewed as equal to men by their presence among them. So, my first reaction when the media touted an all-women Biden-Harris communications team was mixed, but then I realized 1) these women will be among a lot of men in the West Wing; 2) they hold two of the most important White House jobs, the press secretary is the face of the White House, and the communications director establishes its daily messages — not to mention the importance of the VP Elect’s team — talk of “soft” roles should be stopped; and 3) after so many years of all men in these roles, I should take a short break from my GA rule and soak in the win for women.
Elan
I’m of two minds when it comes to Biden’s appointed communications team. As much as I value ensuring women’s voices are heard in the public dialog, I believe in diversity at all levels, and this isn’t it. That being said, Biden is well aware that many of the women he nominates could effectively be vetoed by the Republicans, so this could also be his way of keeping as many women’s voices in the room as he can.
It’s difficult to judge the all-women communications team at this stage, and we might appreciate how many women remain overall in Biden’s administration depending on how the nominations of other women pan out in the end.
Amber
Though I celebrate this announcement with the rest of the world, I’d be remiss if I did not say that I’d love to see the day when all-women teams, teams with LGBTQIA representation, and teams that include Black and non-black people of color, don’t make headlines. This is not to say that we should not acknowledge these wins. This is huge, and acknowledging the Biden/Harris pick is important when considering the long story of American history and politics where white male expertise is considered the norm, the expectation, and the authority. We must continue building a society and a government that reflects the uniqueness and diversity of the populous. The Biden-Harris communication team picks send a strong message that this administration is attempting to take steps in that direction.
Dan
I come from a journalism adjacent background, and I see White House communications as one of the most important and powerful parts of the executive branch. These women will shape the impact and reception of any act of the White House. They will define the frame by which those actions may be received and judged by the American public and the world. These roles are especially critical today, a period marred by four years of disinformation and the deeply damaged credibility of the American presidency.
I also reflect on the fact that presidential actions are historic actions. The decision to appoint an all-women communications team strikes a stark contrast to the overwhelmingly white male leadership team put in place by the Trump administration. I hope that this announcement is a message to everybody listening that there are new standards for representation in leadership.
Jen
My knee-jerk reaction to the Biden-Harris communications team announcement was not only that it’s to be celebrated, but also that it’s expected. Communications is often the domain of women, even when they aren’t represented as leaders elsewhere, but the new administration is putting women and women of color forward in communications and far beyond it, which gives me hope. With the nominations of Avril D. Haines for Director of National Intelligence and Janet Yellen for Treasury Secretary, it is seeking to put extremely qualified women in places of power where no woman has been given the opportunity to lead before.
While there is much work to be done to create a government that truly represents the rich diversity of the United States, the Biden-Harris administration has so far signaled that it intends to deliver on its promise of a more representative government. Let’s just hope the confirmation process treats those who are subject to it as the professionals they are.
Kris-Ann
In my 11-year-old son’s English class, the teacher had them fill out a blind survey about reading interests in order to place them into reading groups. He ended up being placed in a group with all girls. When he told me about it, I asked him how he felt, and his response was what I hope drives his outlook well into the future. He basically said (in 11-year-old terms) that he didn’t care, that they all chose the same book because it sounded interesting to them, and that they’re all on the same reading level so it made sense. His thinking is that they’ll have better conversations and do better work as a group, not as one boy and several girls, because they all work hard and enjoy reading.
It strikes me that the Biden-Harris administration is likely the first one he’ll really remember and, like his reading group, it will include so many women! It’s not something he has really commented on, though, and I think that’s because he doesn’t really know any differently. To him, it’s not a surprise to see a woman of color as Vice President or an all-women team leading White House communications, because he’s working side by side with a group of girls from diverse backgrounds every day.
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