To Really Lead on Global Gender Equality, the United States Needs Dedicated, Sustained Leadership

Jun 16, 2022 | Megan O'Donnell
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It’s been 512 days since President Biden took office, and 216 days since he announced the nomination of Geeta Rao Gupta to be the US Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues. After a long wait, Rao Gupta’s nomination hearing is finally scheduled—for today.

The ambassador-at-large position was first established by President Obama during Hillary Clinton’s tenure as Secretary of State. Soon after taking office, President Obama nominated Melanne Verveer for the new role. Verveeer had previously served as Secretary Clinton’s chief of staff during her time as First Lady. The Obama administration’s decision to establish the high-ranking post sent an important signal: it positioned the task of integrating gender equality into the formulation and conduct of United States foreign policy as meriting dedicated senior leadership.

The speed at which Melanne Verveer was nominated and confirmed helped reinforce the Obama administration’s commitment to promoting global gender equality. Ambassador Verveer was succeeded by Cathy Russell in 2013, and Kelley Eckels Currie in 2020. Notably, the position was vacant for most of President Trump’s term; Kelley Eckels Currie was not nominated until June 2019 and not confirmed by the Senate until December 2019. In the end, she served just over a year in the job.