President Biden establishes Gender Policy Council

On March 8, 2021, President Biden signed an Executive Order establishing the White House Gender Policy Council (https://bit.ly/3cLJyPe). The council, which will report directly to the president, is expected to play a critical role in advancing the administration's agenda by promoting gender equality in both domestic and foreign policy development.

Among other initiatives, the Executive Order requires the council to submit to the president a governmentwide strategy to address gender in policies, programs, and budgets and an annual report to measure progress on implementing the strategy. Specific focuses of the council will include combatting systemic bias, addressing the wage gap and barriers to women's participation in the workforce, and promoting equity and opportunity in education and leadership.

OFCCP makes pay equity a priority

Jenny Yang, the newly appointed director of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), has made clear in recent statements that closing racial and gender pay gaps will be an agency priority during the Biden administration. Yang believes the OFCCP is well-positioned to address these issues. It remains unclear, however, exactly what steps the agency intends to take to accomplish its goals.