Recognizing and Honoring Women's History
| Published date | 01 April 2024 |
| Record Number | 2024-06931 |
| Citation | 89 FR 22327 |
| Court | Executive Office Of The President |
| Section | Presidential Documents |
Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 63 (Monday, April 1, 2024)
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 63 (Monday, April 1, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 22327-22329]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-06931] Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 89 , No. 63 / Monday, April 1, 2024 /
Presidential Documents
___________________________________________________________________
Title 3--
The President
[[Page 22327]]
Executive Order 14121 of March 27, 2024
Recognizing and Honoring Women's History
By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Policy. Women and girls of all backgrounds
have shaped our country's history, from the ongoing
fight for justice and equality to cutting-edge
scientific advancements and artistic achievements. Yet
these contributions have often been overlooked. We must
do more to recognize the role of women and girls in
America's story, including through the Federal
Government's recognition and interpretation of historic
and cultural sites.
It is the policy of my Administration to recognize and
honor the diverse trailblazers--including women and
girls--who have contributed to the fabric of our
Nation. One of the National Park Service's important
functions is serving as the Nation's storyteller by
managing a constellation of sites on behalf of the
American public that, together, help preserve and honor
different chapters in our Nation's history. The
National Park Service honors trailblazing women and
their contributions to the Nation, from Harriet Tubman
and Eleanor Roosevelt, to Rosie the Riveter and Mamie
Till-Mobley. Still, women's history is vastly
underrepresented in our National Park System, creating
an important opportunity to strengthen our Nation's
recognition of the role of women in shaping this
country.
This order directs actions that will strengthen the
Federal Government's recognition of women's history and
the achievements of women and girls from all
backgrounds. It builds on steps I have taken to advance
equity and equality across the Federal Government and
to help tell a more complete story of our Nation's
history, including through Executive Order 14020 of
March 8, 2021 (Establishment of the White House Gender
Policy Council), Executive Order 13985 of January 20,
2021 (Advancing Racial Equity and Support for
Underserved Communities Through the Federal
Government), and Executive Order 14091 of February 16,
2023 (Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for
Underserved Communities Through the Federal
Government). By honoring the women leaders of the past,
we tell a more complete story of America and help build
a more equal and equitable present and future.
Sec. 2. Definitions. For purposes of this order:
(a) The term ``sites of national importance''
includes National Park ``System units'' as defined in
54 U.S.C. 100102 (by reference to 54 U.S.C. 100501),
national monuments designated by the Congress or by the
President pursuant to 54 U.S.C. 320301, and National
Historic Landmarks designated under 36 C.F.R. part 65.
(b) The term ``theme studies'' means studies
conducted by the National Park Service pursuant to 36
C.F.R. 65.5(a) to identify historic properties in the
United States that are nationally significant to a
specific area of American history.
Sec. 3. Recognizing and Honoring Women's History. (a)
Within 180 days of the date of this order, to
strengthen the Federal Government's recognition of
women's history, the Secretary of the Interior shall
submit a report to the President that:
[[Page 22328]]
(i) includes an assessment of existing sites of national importance that
are directly related to women's history, whether managed by the Department
of Defense, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture,
the Department of Commerce, or any other executive branch entity; and
(ii) identifies opportunities within sites of national importance to
highlight important figures and chapters in women's history.
(b) To strengthen the Federal Government's
recognition of women's history:
(i) The Secretary of the Interior shall conduct an overview theme study
specific to women's history that identifies major topics in women's history
to be addressed by a series of subsequent theme studies. The overview theme
study and plan for additional studies shall address prominent women and
girls in key periods of United States history, such as pre-European
contact, Colonial America, the American Revolution, the abolition and
suffrage movements, the Civil War and Reconstruction, the Progressive Era,
the Great Depression and New Deal, World War II and post-war, the civil
rights and women's rights movements, and contemporary America, among other
topics. It also shall highlight women and girl leaders in advocacy and
social movements, defense, diplomacy, education, law, medicine, the
sciences, conservation and environmental protection, sports, the arts, or
other professions and disciplines, as appropriate.
(ii) The Secretary of the Interior shall review previously completed theme
studies and issue a report to help ensure representation of women's history
in sites of national importance. This review of completed theme studies
should include, among others, sites of national importance focused on or
linked with the histories of Latino Americans; Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders; African Americans; people of Indigenous descent; and lesbian,
gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex Americans; as well as
American civil rights and labor histories. The report shall adopt an
intersectional approach by including women from different backgrounds and
communities and shall reflect diversity in factors such as gender, race,
sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, religion, Tribal
affiliation, disability, age, geography, income, and socioeconomic status.
(iii) To inform relevant actions the Department of the Interior will take
over the next 10 years, the Secretary of the Interior shall request
recommendations from the National Park System Advisory Board on ways to
improve the recognition of women's history across Federal parks, lands, and
programs, including through historic designations and national monument
designations. The Secretary of the Interior shall request that the National
Park System Advisory Board produce interim recommendations to the Secretary
within 270 days of the date of this order and produce final recommendations
within 1 year of the date of this order.
(c) The Secretary of the Interior shall make
available the findings from the overview theme study
and series of subsequent theme studies conducted
pursuant to subsection (b)(i) of this section to the
Director of the Smithsonian American Women's History
Museum and the corresponding council established in 20
U.S.C. 80t-2, for consideration, as appropriate, in
developing their own exhibits.
Sec. 4. Implementation. The Secretary of the Interior
shall consult with the Assistant to the President and
Director of the White House Gender Policy Council, the
Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic
Policy Council, and the Chair of the Council on
Environmental Quality in implementing this order.
Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order
shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or
the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
[[Page 22329]]
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with
applicable law and subject to the availability of
appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not,
create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law or in equity by any party against
the United States, its departments, agencies, or
entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any
other person.
(Presidential Sig.)
THE WHITE HOUSE,
March 27, 2024.
[FR Doc. 2024-06931
Filed 3-29-24; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P
