CNAY Represents Native Women at White House Summit

On December 16, CNAY Program Manager Josie Raphaelito joined a panel discussion with the White House Council on Women and Girls, which held their final event on women and girls of color. At the event, the Council released an updated report to promote progress made over the past year. In attendance were more than 180 stakeholders, including philanthropic leaders, nonprofit leaders, community activists and academics. The event included:

  • A panel discussion with community activists (including CNAY) on what it means to build an inclusive movement;
  • A panel discussion with senior White House and Administration officials on the data-driven issue areas addressed in the report;
  • A keynote address from Vanita Gupta, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice; and
  • An interview with Elle Magazine (Melissa Harris-Perry and Marley Dias), Tina Tchen, Assistant to the President and Executive Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls,and Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President and Chair of the Council on Women and Girls.

marley-panel

LtR: Marley Dias, Founder of 1,000 Black Girl Books; Tina Tchen, Assistant to the President and Executive Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls; Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President and Chair of the Council on Women and Girls; Melissa Harris-Perry, Maya Angelou Presidential Chair at Wake Forest University.

Since its inception, the White House Council on Women and Girls has focused on the needs and challenges of all women and girls. However, in 2014, to specifically drive attention to the unique obstacles facing women and girls of color, the Council on Women and Girls launched a specific work stream called “Advancing Equity” to ensure that policies and programs across the federal government advance outcomes for women and girls from marginalized communities. CNAY attended to highlight current issues for Indigenous women and girls, and advocate for their inclusion in these national discussions on advancing equity.