While Chrysler is closing all of its plants for one month, President-elect Barack Obama is hiring. Some constituent groups continue to wonder whether they will have a voice in his administration.
Women are raising their voices. The New Agenda, a nonpartisan organization for women’s rights, is keeping track of Obama’s Cabinet appointments. Amy Siskind, co-founder of the group, said in a statement:
To date, Obama has appointed only four women out of 16 18 announced cabinet positions. At this rate the President-elect would need to fill all remaining positions with women in order to achieve near gender parity.
Siskind’s concerns were echoed by WomenCount:
In recent days we have been urged by some of our colleagues in the world of women’s advocacy to call attention to President-elect Obama’s failure to nominate more women to his Cabinet. Rather than speak out, we have given him the benefit of the doubt and encouraged others to do the same - until now.
With this week’s announcements, the new Cabinet stands at 14 men and 4 women. That puts the current percentage of women in the Obama Cabinet at 22 percent - and there are only four Cabinet-level openings left to fill.
President Clinton’s first Cabinet - 16 years ago - was 37 percent women. In his second term, it climbed to 47 percent women. President Bush began his first term with 22 percent women in his Cabinet. We want that number to go up - not go down or stay the same!
Some more math: women make up 51 percent of the American population and 56 percent of voters. In the 2008 presidential election, women voted for Obama 56 to 49 percent over men.
Dozens of qualified women have been recommended to fill critical slots on the incoming leadership team.
We urge the President-elect and his transition team to act now to improve their record of commitment to naming women to senior positions in the new Administration. It’s not too late.
Such a lack of progress for women underscores the need for real change – now.
WomenCount is also calling on Obama to establish a Presidential Commission on Women during his first 100 days. To sign the petition, go here.
