Biden to sign executive orders establishing Gender Policy Council and addressing sexual violence in education

President Joe Biden is set to sign two executive orders on Monday which will establish the White House Gender Policy Council and address sexual violence in the education field.

The orders, to be signed on International Woman's Day, are aimed at ensuring gender equality and equity throughout the federal government at a time when women, particularly Black and Latina women, are being disproportionately afflicted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The full participation of all people, including women and girls, across all aspects of our society is essential to the economic well-being, health, and security of our country and of the world," a senior administration official said while outlining the executive orders on Sunday night.

The White House Gender Policy Council will be specifically tasked with combating systemic bias and discrimination, including sexual harassment. The council's broad scope includes tackling a slate of challenges like the structural barriers to women's participation in the labor force, wage and wealth gaps and the caregiving needs of American families.

Health care concerns, equal opportunity in leadership and promoting gender equality worldwide through diplomacy will also fall under the council's purview.

The executive order will require the co-chairs of the council to submit to the President a government-wide strategy to address gender in policies, programs and budgets, and an annual report to measure progress on implementing the strategy, according to a fact sheet released by the White House.

To prevent and respond to gender-based violence, there will be special assistants to the President and senior advisers on gender-based violence on the council staff.