“Madam Speaker, Madam Vice President.” We heard these words said by a president for the first time last night in President Biden’s first address to Congress.
The optics of this watershed moment cannot be understated. Last night inspired the next generation of women leaders after millions of little girls around the country saw a pair of smart, driven, and assertive women sitting in two of the most powerful seats in the world. As a feminist, I hope this enduring image will catapult the women’s movement and motivate more women to join our fight for full equal rights.
After nearly 55 years of grassroots, feminist activism, we at NOW are proud to have arrived at this historic moment, which will light our way forward.
We are confident this administration is committed to enacting policies that support equality for all and recognizes that structural change is needed now. We look forward to working with the White House to act on the priorities that President Biden outlined in his speech – free community college, paid family and medical leave, a wealth tax, free preschool, affordable child care, child tax credit, transgender protections, paycheck fairness, and rebuilding workplace infrastructure with women and families in mind – all issues that NOW and our coalition partners have long championed.
As we recognize the progress made by the Biden Administration in its first 100 days, there is still a long road ahead to achieve equity and justice for all. At NOW, we will continue to do our part in the next 100 days and all the days that follow, to build an America that works for everyone.