Council on Women and Girls Blog

Let’s Stop Counting: A Word on Women at the Treasury Department

Ed. note: This is cross-posted from Treasury Notes.

While the fields of economics and finance continue to be heavily represented by men, Treasury’s history reminds us that women have been, and continue to be, important leaders in shaping economic policy. This is particularly noteworthy at a moment in U.S. history when the rules of the financial sector are being rewritten and technology is changing the way our economy functions.

Women’s History Month is a time to recognize these achievements and to consider how far we have come from an era when women were not afforded the training or opportunities to serve their nation in this capacity. President Obama’s Administration has set the record for the most women serving in Senate-confirmed positions at the Treasury Department since its establishment in 1789.

Today, seven key positions at Treasury are held by women, including:

• Lael Brainard, the Under Secretary for International Affairs, and the first woman in Treasury’s history to hold this position. In the 1990s, Brainard served as the first woman U.S. Sherpa to the Group of Eight. At Secretary Geithner’s direction, Brainard has been leading U.S. efforts to encourage Europe to strengthen its crisis response.
• Mary Miller, the Assistant Secretary for Financial Markets, who has been nominated by President Obama to be Under Secretary for Domestic Finance. Miller currently manages the world’s largest securities market and oversees all U.S. borrowing.
• Janice Eberly, the Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy, and only the second woman to serve in this role. As Treasury’s Chief Economist, Eberly is responsible for assisting in the determination of appropriate economic policies and has played an important role in reframing the debate around economic uncertainty.
• Leslie Ireland, the Assistant Secretary for Intelligence & Analysis. Ireland is responsible for the analysis of intelligence used to safeguard the international financial system from abuse and to combat threats to U.S. national security. Prior to her role at Treasury, Ireland was the Daily Intelligence Briefer to the President.
• Marisa Lago, the Assistant Secretary for International Markets & Development. Lago represents the U.S. in a number of international fora that oversee global financial regulatory reform and multilateral development.
• Jenni LeCompte, the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs. For the past three years, LeCompte has been advising the Secretary and the Department on how to communicate with, and engage the public on, issues that include fiscal policy, the global recovery from the crisis and the drive for financial reform.
• Rosie Rios, the Treasurer of the United States, a position which has been held by a woman since 1949. Rios has direct oversight over currency and coin production and advises the Secretary on issues of community development and public engagement.

Happy 101st Anniversary of International Women’s Day!

Yesterday I was excited to return to the International Women of Courage Awards Ceremony at the State Department here in Washington, D.C. These awards honor the critical role women are playing in growing economies and in contributing to peace and stability. Recipients included “Women of Courage” from across the globe who have overcome adversity, and in turn stood up and fought for social justice, human rights and the advancement of women. There was an incredible level of energy and support in the room, and I was humbled to be among these phenomenal women. I was also joined by women I admire deeply: First Lady Michelle Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer, First Lady Ernestina Naadu Mills of Ghana, and First Lady Vanda Pignato of El Salvador.

Two Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, Leymah Gbowee of Liberia and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen, spoke at the ceremony, and their words captivated the room. Gbowee realized during Liberia’s second civil war that it is women who bear the greatest burden in prolonged conflicts. She was a pivotal activist in the peace movement, organizing Christian and Muslim women to demonstrate together, and organizing for the Liberian Mass Action for Peace.  Known as the “iron woman” and the “mother of the revolution,” Karman is a journalist and human rights activist who has long championed democracy and women’s rights in Yemen, co-founding “Women Journalists Without Chains.” She was among the first to participate and help organize the opposition protests in Yemen. Together, Gbowee and Karmanchallenged everyone to continue to work for women’s rights around the world.