Senior Obama Adviser Speaks on Women’s Inequality
Tory Elmore, GoLocalProv News Contributor
Senior Obama Adviser Speaks on Women’s Inequality
The lecture was part of the Doherty-Granoff Forum on Women Leaders.
A 1981 graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, Jarrett worked in both the public and private sector before joining the Obama Administration. She now oversees the Offices of Intergovernmental Affairs, Public Engagement, Urban Affairs, and Olympic, Paralympic, and Youth Sport as well as chairing the White House Council on Women and Girls, working to develop policies and initiatives that support American women.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST"It is the mission of the House Council on Women and Girls to analyze policies that affect women" Jarrett said. "My mother used to tell me that, as a woman, I would have to work twice as hard in order to achieve my goals. It's still an unjust system."
Inequities remain for women
Jarrett, who said she was surprised to see so many men in attendance at the forum, highlighted the inequalities that American women face every day. She cited statistics revealing that women generally underperform in fields like engineering, science, and technology; that they are more likely than men to live in poverty; and "most troubling," that women in the workforce are still only paid an average 77 cents for every dollar made by their male counterparts.
"Women tend to shy away from demanding the things they deserve," Jarrett said, describing her reluctance as a young woman to ask her boss for a promotion. "But it is the only way to make progress...you have to be proactive... you can't be a bystander in your own life."
Jarrett offered attendees — women and men alike — advice based on her experience navigating a male-dominated education system, private workforce, and public sector. She detailed her experiences at Michigan Law (where women represented only a quarter of the student body), private law firms in Chicago (where, underpaid, she worked "in a cubicle facing an alleyway"), and in then-Chicago-Mayor Richard Daley's office (where she struggled to balance her responsibilities as Deputy Chief of Staff with those of being a single mother).
‘Tons of Uncertainty’ in today’s economy
"Graduating in the next few years, especially given today's economy, you are going to face tons of uncertainty," she said. "But uncertainty creates opportunities... Failure is hard, especially for young people, but... everybody fails. You have to be willing to try things that you don't expect to lead you on a direct path...If you don't try, you're never going to make it."
"I felt unfulfilled by my job at the law firm, despite how proud my parents were that I was the first lawyer in the family," Jarrett explained, emphasizing the importance of "doing what you want, not what others want for you."
"Balance is so important. You can't do everything... Pick a job that accommodates the lifestyle that you want to live. Pick someplace that will support you and allow you to thrive."
‘No easy decisions for Obama’
When asked about working in public service, Jarrett spoke enthusiastically about the gratifying nature of "being a part of something larger than oneself." She added that, in life, "there are no easy decisions." She said that she does what she does, despite opposition (like protesters marching outside her Washington, D.C. home) because she "would rather be the one making the decisions."
As one of only three senior advisers, Jarrett is a fixture in President Obama's decision-making process. She discussed some of the pressing issues and opportunities for policy change currently on the table in the White House, offering a federal perspective on topics being similarly contended in Rhode Island.
"Cities are being forced to cut education, police, etc... to balance their budgets every year," she said. "But we need to see them as opportunities, not problems... Cities are the the economic engine of our country. We [the federal government] are working on ground-up programs and initiatives through public, private, and philanthropic cooperation."
"The Obama administration is dedicated to helping vulnerable people," Jarrett said when asked about the President's stance on immigration policy. "President Obama is determined to pass comprehensive immigration reform. We are bringing together diverse leadership, from business to labor and government. It is an uphill battle, but that has never stopped him before."
Jarrett closed her address by emphasizing the impact that young people, particularly college students, can have on government.
"You are our key constituency," she said, recalling the overwhelming support for President Obama by teenagers and young adults during the 2008 campaign season. "We want your input. We want to hear your ideas, to hear about using technology to streamline government, to capture your energy... We are trying to leverage what we are doing with what you are doing."
"Ordinary people do extraordinary things," she concluded. "But you are all extraordinary people. Take everything that life has to offer. Accept responsibility. Lead."
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