Political Origins of the WHOWIO
After 1994 Democratic midterm election losses and media reports about a growing
gender gap, Clinton
=s 1996 campaign committee seeks way to attend to women=s
issues.
Women
=s groups, ranging from the Fund for a Feminist Majority, the National Abortion
Rights Action League, and the Coalition for Women
=s Appointments criticize Clinton
for inattention to women
=s policy issues. A group of prominent feminists (including
both mainstream and left-wing feminists) from the Washington D.C. area, meet with
Clinton
=s staff to build a Astronger women=s ## email not listed ## in the White House.
Clinton
=s staff, Karen Nussbaum (Director of Dept. of Labor=s Women=s Bureau) and
Betsy Myers (Small Business Administration
=s office of Women=s Business
Ownership) design an office that will connect president
=s office to women=s issues.
Clinton and staff formalize arrangements for a Women
=s Office in the White House.
The WHOWIO is created in May of 1995, a year
and 2 prior to the 1996 election.
Betsy Myers, who came from business
Convention