RPJ ‘Chooses to Challenge’ in Honor of International Women’s Day
Upon reflection a day after International Women’s Day and President Biden’s establishment of the Gender Policy Council, a plan to address and advance gender equity and equality both domestically and internationally, we might all agree that the horizon appears brighter than it had this time last year. But then, we see in the news such daily tragedies as befall those least equipped to cope.
As our world continues to adapt and strives to thrive despite the challenges of the pandemic, important legal and administrative changes continue to occur in our government, and positivity and progress seem more easily attainable than they have in a while. The New York Times reports that the Council, led by Co-Chairs Jennifer Klein, former Senior Advisor to Hillary Clinton, and Julissa Reynoso, former Ambassador to Uruguay, will require a collaborative governmental effort rarely before seen:
“Almost every cabinet secretary is required to participate with the council, signaling that the council’s work is of top priority for every federal agency and that it will touch on many issues like racial equity, national security, health care and economics. (…) The secretaries are also required to designate a senior official within their agencies in the coming month who will collaborate directly with the council to advance gender equity work, both on their teams and when crafting new policies.”
In honor of Women’s History Month, and this year’s International Women’s Day campaign theme #ChooseToChallenge, the Reavis Page Jump LLP team asks, in what ways can we challenge ourselves to choose a broader vision of our world—to engage a perspective that not only tolerates, but also accommodates differences, for the greater prosperity of our global community?
Being a recognized member of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, as well as a women-run law firm, we at RPJ understand the value of celebrating workplace equality and inclusion, and we respect any and all action taken to champion this cause. Our robust employment and dispute resolution practices, our socially impactful documentary and media support, and our pioneering Anti-Harassment and Discrimination Prevention and Inclusivity Trainings, are all but examples of the many ways we incorporate the themes of President Biden’s initiative into our own institutional work, as we eagerly extend the conversation regarding the responsibilities demanded of those who can influence our future. At the same time we must not forget to extend ourselves in ways large and small in our daily lives.
This day, this month, and after, we at RPJ hope these goals of equity and inclusion continue to ring true and influence the world around us, and that the challenges we choose to meet inspire greater kindness and tolerance, of which we are so sorely in need.