The Common Ills: Inside the “Cabinet That Looks Like America”

Sunday, January 24, 2021

Inside the “Cabinet That Looks Like America”

Dear Common Ills,

We are at a transformational shift to a new era of gender equality in the United States, with feminist women holding some of the most consequential levers of power.

Kamala Harris, a Black woman of South Asian descent, is the first woman vice president; for the first time in U.S. history, President Joe Biden has appointed equal numbers of women (now at 48%) to the Cabinet; and the House of Representatives is led by a feminist woman, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and feminists chair some of the most powerful committees including Rep. Maxine Waters of the House Financial Services Committee, Rep. Rosa DeLauro of the Appropriations Committee and Rep. Carolyn Maloney of the Oversight and Reform Committee.

This is a moment that feminists—including Ms. editors and our long-time readers, who have been at the forefront of the feminist movement for decades—have been working for. There’s no denying that 2021 is going to be an exciting, impactful and critically important year in the long struggle for gender equality.

In our Winter 2021 issue, you'll find our feature article, “A Cabinet That Looks Like America,” in which Ms. writers Tiffany D. Barnes and Diana Z. O’Brien explore why and how gender parity in the new administration will make a difference in what government does and the impact on all our lives.

“It’s clear that a more diverse Cabinet has a positive effect on policy outcomes,” says Barnes. She and O’Brien conclude, “Cabinet appointees don’t just enact the president’s wishes; they also shape policy and guide the administration’s priorities. And researchers find that women’s presence in cabinets can lead to more gender-equitable outcomes. More women in cabinets is associated with more government spending on public health and family benefits, as well as female-friendly labor policy.”

When confirmed by the Senate, half (48%) of President Biden’s Cabinet will be women, including eight women of color—allowing the U.S. to be, for once, a global leader on women’s representation in public office. Previously, women have never represented more than eight of the 24 or 25 Cabinet or Cabinet-rank positions at one time, and people of color are even less likely to occupy these posts.

Join the Ms. community today and you'll get the Winter issue delivered straight to your mailbox!

Inside The Winter Issue

Here's a glimpse at what else you'll find inside the upcoming Winter issue:

Meet the nine new feminist women who joined the U.S. House of Representative early this month! They bring to the capital not just their experience and commitment to feminist policy change, but a way of thinking that could expand our notions of who exercises political power and for what purposes.
Ms. Contributing Editor Carrie Baker spoke to leading policymakers, advocates and activists on what women can expect—and hope for—from the Biden administration. She writes, "One of the most important actions that Biden and Harris can take—one that will affect all areas of women’s and girls’ lives—is ensuring that the Equal Rights Amendment becomes part of the U.S. Constitution."

Become a Ms. member today to get our Winter issue before it hits newsstands!

When you become a member of Ms., you get the magazine in print or on our app, or both—and you’re the first to get information alerts and event invitations from our team. When you become a member, you're supporting independent, feminist media—and becoming part of a global community of feminists who care about the issues that matter to you.

Join today to get our newest issue delivered straight to your mailbox—and fuel another year of our reporting, rebelling and truth-telling.

For equality,
Signature
Kathy Spillar
Executive Editor