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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: 202-219-8211
Pioneers in the quest for equality in the workplace gathered in
Washington today to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the executive order
extending federal affirmative action programs to include women. Secretary of
Labor Alexis M. Herman, Dr. Dorothy Height and Betty Friedan were among the
leaders who marked the 30-year anniversary of Executive Order ll375, signed by
President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967.
At a luncheon, cosponsored by the Labor Department and Wider
Opportunities for Women at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Linda
Johnson Robb thanked those in attendance for celebrating her father's efforts
to ensure equal rights for women.
Herman, in a keynote address, said that while a lot has been
accomplished in the last 30 years, there is much more work to do.
"We had to do the work to get through the door, but make no mistake
about it: affirmative action opened the door for women, and it is our job today
to keep those doors wide open," said Herman. "As I travel through this nation I
still see too many women of all ages and all races who still need help finding
good and decent jobs."
Shirley J. Wilcher, deputy assistant secretary for the Labor
Department's Office of Federal Contract Compliance (OFCCP), emceed the event,
and Ida L. Castro, acting director of the Women's Bureau presented a video that
chronicled 30 years of achievement.
Provisions of Executive Order ll246, as amended by Executive Order
ll375, are enforced by OFCCP. The order requires that federal contractors and
subcontractors provide equal employment opportunity without regard to race,
sex, color, religion, national origin, disability or Vietnam-era veteran
status, and to fulfill affirmative action obligations.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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