Women make a difference in the lives of Americans every day and are a critical part of the U.S. economy. During Women’s History Month, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo echoed this sentiment at various events that both celebrated the vast contributions of women and stressed the importance of advancing women’s full and equal participation in building a more resilient and innovative economy. Through women’s economic empowerment, the Biden Administration is committed to advancing gender equity, strengthening our economy, and making the U.S. more competitive. 

This principle was reflected earlier this month at the Institute of Global Politics Women's Initiative Summit where Secretary Raimondo joined Secretary Hillary Clinton and former Georgia House minority leader Stacey Abrams in a discussion on the need to increase the representation of women in the manufacturing and labor workforce. Secretary Raimondo emphasized that thanks to funding from the Biden Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act, more opportunities are being created for women to enter the workforce. However, she underscored that our work is far from over and referenced Commerce’s ongoing efforts to break down barriers preventing more women from entering and rising through the ranks in the construction industry, and other areas throughout the manufacturing sector.   

“Semiconductors—or chips—are vital to our economic and national security and we need to increase jobs in this critical industry,” said Secretary Raimondo. “Women have an opportunity to secure good-paying jobs in manufacturing facilities. However, in order to unlock these opportunities, women must have access to necessary training and affordable and reliable childcare to enter and stay in the workforce.”  

That same day, the Secretary joined American fashion designer Tory Burch for a fireside chat about the federal resources available to help women entrepreneurs access capital and expand their reach to more customers. The Secretary outlined several Commerce Department programs that can assist women entrepreneurs, including advice on how to obtain a patent or copyright; workforce training with access to childcare; networking opportunities to connect women with accelerators to obtain start-up capital; and coaching opportunities for women interested in entrepreneurship and innovation.   
 
Last week, the Department of Commerce launched the Women in STEM Ambassadors Program to raise awareness about opportunities for women in the semiconductor industry and inspire interest in STEM-related fields. 

“As the Secretary of Commerce, I wake up every day thinking about how we can make our country more competitive. That means breaking down systemic barriers that are holding our workforce back, including the unique challenges that impact women,” said Raimondo. “If we’re going to out-compete the rest of the world, we need to invest in everyone’s success – especially women, people of color, and other underrepresented groups, who have too often been left behind or overlooked.” 

Earlier this month, Secretary Raimondo traveled to Southeast Asia on behalf of President Biden to lead a Presidential Trade and Investment Mission to the Philippines. There, she engaged with Filipina women business leaders in different sectors to exchange best practices on empowering women leaders and entrepreneurs and advancing gender equality.

The Secretary also discussed the SelectUSA Program’s Select Global Women in Tech Mentorship Network, which is a pivotal Commerce program that supports and advances the economic empowerment of women. This year-long program connects women entrepreneurs around the world with mentorship and networking opportunities to help grow their businesses and explore business opportunities in the United States.

Secretary Raimondo also highlighted the International Trade Administration’s (ITA) EMPOWER Asia initiative, which holds monthly webinars with ITA’s Strategic Partners to increase awareness of and enhance market opportunities for women-owned and led businesses. This year-long program connects women entrepreneurs around the world with mentorship and networking opportunities to help grow their businesses and explore business opportunities in the United States. Secretary Raimondo also highlighted the International Trade Administration’s (ITA) EMPOWER Asia initiative, which holds monthly webinars with ITA’s Strategic Partners to increase awareness of and enhance market opportunities for women-owned and led businesses. 
 
In advance of Women’s History Month, Secretary Raimondo was named one of CNBC’s Women Transforming Business Changemakers for her work leading the Biden administration’s efforts on workforce and technologies critical to national security and American competitiveness. 
 
The Biden Administration and the Commerce Department are committed to equality and diversity and creating a workplace and an economy that works for all Americans.