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Show COMMISSIONS ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN Federal An upsurge of interest in the status of women was engendered by the President's Commission on the Status of established Women, by President Jo1m F. Kennedy, December 14, 1961. The function of the Commission was to examine and recommend remedies for the prejudices and outmoded customs, which the President said in his Executive order, "act as barriers to the full realization of women's basic rights which should be respected and fostered as of our part Nation's commitment to human dignity, freedom, and democracy." The Commission and its seven committees studied a wide variety of problems affecting women's role in the and economic, cultural life of the Nation. political, Its recommendations were in its report American. Women, which was presented to the President October 11, 1963. The Commission gave top priority to education and recommended greater educational opportunities for women at all levels of learning and increased counseling facilities for women and girls. It stressed the need for new and expanded services to enable women to meet more effectively their responsibilities as homemakers and workers. In the field of employment it recommended equal for women in hiring, training, promotion, and opportunities pay, and improvement of mini mum wage laws and other labor legislation affecting women. Other recommendations called for action to insure for ,women equality under the law, greater social insurance and tax benefits, and a larger role as citizens. The Commission urged special attention to the needs of dis advantaged women .and girls in carrying out all its recommendations. Acting upon a final recommendation of the Commission for con tinuing leadership at the Federal level to further the objectives proposed in its report, President Kennedy established the Interde partmental Committee and the Citizens' Advisory Council on the Status of Women, November 1,1963. The Interdepartmental Committee seeks to stimulate cooperation and the exchange of ideas and information among Federal agencies, State and local governments, State commissions on the status of public and private organizations concerned with areas women, and 260 |
