Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Director Jennifer Klein at a Celebration of Women’s History

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the White House!

My name is Jennifer Klein and I have the honor and privilege of serving as the Director of the first-ever White House Gender Policy Council.

Women have always played a critical role in the American story. But, for too long, women’s stories and contributions to our country have gone untold.

Last month, during Women’s History Month, President Biden signed an Executive Order to strengthen our recognition of women who have shaped our Nation’s history.

This Executive Order will help increase the representation of women’s history in sites across America, honoring the legacy and contributions of women and girls to our country.

By highlighting the role that women and girls have played in shaping the American story, we will provide a more complete account of American history and help create a more equal future.

And we are amongst history makers here today—people who have long championed the importance of recognizing women’s contributions to the fabric of our American story. And I’d like to call out just a few:

• Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, who championed this issue on Capitol Hill for years.

• Gwendolyn Mink, daughter of Congresswoman Patsy Mink, the first woman of color elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and the first Asian-American woman to serve in Congress, and a force in her own right—who we honored as part of a Women’s History Month exhibit here at the White House in March.

• Chair Maria Jackson, the first African American and first Mexican American woman to serve as chair of the National Endowment of the Arts

• Champions for the establishment of a Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum right here in our nation’s capital, including Jane Abraham and Interim Director Melanie Adams;

• And leaders from the Mellon Foundation and the National Park Foundation, who are partnering with us to elevate women’s history.

And if those aren’t enough trailblazers for you, we have another

My friend Secretary Deb Haaland made history when she became the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary. She is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna and a 35th generation New Mexican.

In New Mexico, Secretary Haaland ran her own small business, producing and canning Pueblo Salsa, served as a tribal administrator at San Felipe Pueblo, and became the first woman elected to the Laguna Development Corporation Board of Directors.

After running for New Mexico Lieutenant Governor in 2014, Secretary Haaland became the first Native American woman to be elected to lead a State Party.

She is one of the first Native American women to serve in Congress. In Congress, chairing the Subcommittee on National Park and Public Lands.

Throughout her career in public service, Secretary Haaland has broken barriers and opened the doors of opportunity for future generations.

I am honored to call her a colleague and friend and grateful that she is here with us today.  Please join me in welcoming Secretary Haaland.