International Women's Year, 1975 Message to the Congress Transmitting a Report.

To the Congress of the United States:

By mandating International Women's Year, Congress set in motion a series of fifty-two regional meetings that brought together women of all races, incomes, ethnic backgrounds and religious beliefs to consider the major issues confronting women. The culmination of International Women's Year was the National Women's Conference held in Houston on November, 1977. That conference was a turning point in American Women's long struggle for equality. In Houston, .delegates elected at the regional meetings developed the National Plan of Action—a national agenda to achieve women's full rights and equality.

In response to the Plan's recommendations, the Administration has reviewed our programs designed to improve the opportunities for women. This Message summarizes the results of that review and forwards to the Congress the more detailed status report on Administration action on the IWY resolutions.

A keystone toward achieving equality for women would be the addition of the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution. By passing this Amendment, the Congress recognized the need to provide Constitutional guarantees against discrimination on the basis of sex. More than any other single act, ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment will affirm the right of women to participate fully in American life. To ensure that women do not lose the opportunity to secure that precious right, the deadline for ratification should be extended.

Because I feel very strongly about women's equality, I sent a Memorandum last month to the heads of all departments and agencies. In that Memorandum, I directed the head of each department and agency ( 1 ) to emphasize the Administration's commitment to the Equal Rights Amendment; (2) to review the Federal Women's Program in their agency or department to determine how it can be strengthened; (3) to designate a policylevel representative from their agency or department to serve on the Interdepartmental Task Force on Women; and (4) to provide adequate staff for that representative.

However, we must not stop here. We must make every effort to help women assume their rightful place in every part of American life. This is in the national interest, for we cannot meet the important challenges of the coming decades without full participation of all our citizens, including women.

As President, I have acted upon my firm commitment to equity for women in my appointments, programs, and policies. I believe that the Federal government should serve as a model of nondiscrimination, and I shall continue to take steps toward that goal. In my Administration, women are serving in the Cabinet and at all levels of government. Still, much more remains to be done. That is why I have set in motion the Interdepartmental Task Force on Women, National Advisory Committee for Women, other key task forces, and departmental studies to recommend additional action.

My Administration is dedicated to eliminating discrimination against women. Among the crucial issues which demand our attention:

Passage of the Equal Rights Amendment and the Resolution for Extending the Deadline for Ratification;

• passage of pending legislation which improves the status of women as recommended in this report;

• Enforcement of all civil rights laws, particularly Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits sex discrimination in Federally-financed education programs; and

• Development of improved statistical information to permit adequate evaluation of the impact of Federal programs and practices on women.

THE STATUS REPORT

International Women's Year helped raise the expectations and consciousness of American women, who now look to government, private industry, and the community for bold and energetic responses. In accepting the final report of the National Commission for International Women's Year, I reaffirmed my commitment to equality for women and my determination to help keep the spirit of Houston alive. At that time, I directed that a status report be prepared on the Administration's initial steps to implement the National Plan of Action. Today I am pleased to present that report with my recommendations to the Congress.

To assess our progress toward the goals described in the National Plan of Action, each department and agency was asked to report all current legislative and executive actions reflecting the aims and spirit of Houston. More than three hundred women, both from inside and outside the Federal government, and representing a wide range of interests, reviewed the agency surveys. Many of their suggestions were incorporated into the final report, and I am grateful for their help.

A set of detailed recommendations for implementation of the National Plan of Action separate from this report was developed as part of this work. I shall transmit these recommendations to the Interdepartmental Task Force on Women and the National Advisory Committee for Women for review and advice.

Part I of the report sets forth those portions of the Plan's twenty-six resolutions calling for Federal action, and indicates the major Administration legislative and executive initiatives in the first eighteen months in those areas. In the months ahead we shall continue to start new initiatives to improve equity for women in areas included in The Plan of Action and beyond. Part II of the report describes other legislative measures which represent efforts to approach these issues in different ways.

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

The report summarizes more than seventy-five important initiatives taken during the first eighteen months of this Administration to provide greater equity for women. These include new laws and programs, increased funding, and improved administration in areas addressed by the National Plan of Action. Let me highlight some of our major steps:

• More than 21 percent of my appointments within the White House and the executive branch have been women, an all-time high for any Administration. In response to my instructions, Cabinet members and agency heads also sought out and appointed women to important positions. We shall continue to do so.

• My Administration has acted:

(1) to improve Federal employment opportunities for women;

(2) to examine and make recommendations to address the problems women business owners face in obtaining Federal grants and contracts;

(3) to enforce existing civil rights laws (i.e., The Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974, the Fair Housing Act, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and The Civil Rights Act of 1964);

(4) to improve the collection and dissemination of data on the status of women; and

(5) to increase funding and visibility of programs serving women's needs.

• My Reorganization Plan #1 of 1978, a major reorganization effort of the Administration, strengthens and consolidates within the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Federal enforcement of laws and executive orders against job discrimination based on sex and race.

• I have signed and am fully implementing several important new laws—Protection of Children Against Sexual Exploitation Act of 1977, The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978, the Social Security Amendments of 1977, and The Age Discrimination in Employment Act Amendments of 1978.

My Administration in its first eighteen months has initiated and supported legislation aimed at meeting the needs of women in many areas identified in the National Plan of Action. I urge Congress to act upon this legislation quickly.

Some of the resolutions in the National Plan of Action require structural as well as policy changes. My Administration has developed new operations to improve the Federal government's response to women's needs:

• The Interdepartmental Task Force on Women and the National Advisory Committee for Women were created by Executive Order in March, 1978, to advise me of additional action necessary to implement the Plan of Action.

• The Department of Justice Task Force on Sex Discrimination is working with each agency to survey and eliminate sex discrimination from programs and procedures throughout the Federal government. The Task Force will recommend needed changes in existing laws.

• The Interdepartmental Task Force on Women Business Owners, coordinated by the Department of Commerce, has identified barriers to business ownership for women and has made recommendations to remove them. On July 10, 1978, I asked my Cabinet to respond to the Task Force recommendations.

• The Department of Commerce Office of Federal Statistical Policy and Standards was established to coordinate data collection and to set guidelines and definitions for demographic variables.

During my Administration, other Federal programs designed to meet the needs of women have been expanded:

• The Women's Bureau in the Department of Labor, which focuses on the needs of women in the labor force, was upgraded, giving the Bureau Chief direct access to the Secretary of Labor. The Women's Bureau provides support for the Interdepartmental Task Force on Women and the National Advisory Committee for Women, operates significant programs designed to serve women, and publishes information on employed women.

• The Federal Women's Program which is in the Office of the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission, aids Federally-employed women. In conjunction with the Federal Women's Task Force on the U.N. Decade for Women, the Federal Women's Program is playing a more active and visible role in shaping Federal employment policy.

• The National Advisory Council on Women's Educational Programs is a Presidentially-appointed council which makes recommendations to Federal officials on equity for women and girls in education. During my Administration, the Council has been given an expanded mandate to help implement laws prohibiting sex discrimination in Federally-assisted education programs.

These are only a few high points of the report which surveys our progress over the past eighteen months. My Administration has been able to achieve this record in large part because of the unstinting efforts of the many dedicated women within the Government. For these efforts I am grateful.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CONGRESS

For 131 years after the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, American women could not vote. Since women's suffrage in 1920, there has been considerable progress in legislative and executive action to provide equity for women. That progress has accelerated in my Administration. From 1923 to 1972, the Equal Rights Amendment languished in Congress. In 1972, Congress took a bold and affirmative step to guarantee equal rights for women. It only remains for three more states to join the majority of our nation in passing this historic amendment. ERA must be passed not only for ourselves, but to free our sons and daughters to participate fully in our nation's future.

Our nation benefits when women, as well as men, are freed from stereotypes and given a broader range of choices. Our nation benefits when all women may enter the mainstream of American life, and their talents and abilities are valued and rewarded. Our nation benefits when the freedom of all Americans is enhanced by greater freedom for American women. We can increase this freedom.

I ask you now to join with me in guaranteeing full equity for women in the United States, and to pass in an acceptable form without delay:

• H.J. Res. 638 and S.J. Res. 134 Extension of the Deadline for Ratification of the Equal Rights Amendments.

• H.R. 11086 (H.R. 12452) and S. 2570 Comprehensive Employment and Training Act.

• H.R. 50 and S. 50 Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act of 1978 (Humphrey-Hawkins Bill).

• H.R. 6075 and S. 995 Pregnancy Disability Act.

• H.R. 11280 and S. 2640 Civil Service Reform Act.

• H.R. 9030 (H.R. 19050) and S. 2084 Better lobs and Income Act (Welfare Reform).

These bills, which are pending before Congress, will greatly enhance the civil rights, employment and economic opportunities of women. Extension of the Deadline for Ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment recently passed the House by an overwhelming majority. I congratulate the House and call upon the Senate to take similar action. The Equal Rights Amendment is needed as a constitutional protection against discrimination on the basis of sex. The Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) and the Better Jobs and Income Act (Welfare Reform), will, among other things, enable employment training and support services for displaced homemakers and low income women. In addition, CETA will protect against sex role stereotyping in Federal training programs and sex discrimination in placement in Federally subsidized jobs. The Civil Service Reform Act and the Humphrey-Hawkins Bill will improve employment opportunities for the most recent entrants to the labor market-women and youth. And, the Pregnancy Disability Act, which is now in conference, will protect the health benefits of pregnant workers by making it unlawful for employers to discriminate on the basis of sex.

Through enactment of these bills in the appropriate form, we ensure continued progress toward the goal of full equality so that future generations of Americans-male and female—have choices and opportunities not fully realized today.

JIMMY CARTER

The White House,

September 97, 1978.