Taking office at a crucial time in American history, President Joe Biden’s administration faces urgent social, economic, political, and environmental issues. More than any other generation, Gen Z uses social media as a platform to promote these essential issues. The Lance wants to use our platform to raise awareness about the issues that matter to our generation and that we hope President Biden will prioritize in his first 100 days.

Women’s rights activist Susan B. Anthony said, “[t]here shall never be another season of silence until women have the same rights men have on this green earth.” More than a century after her death, women’s voices still echo throughout the nation as their fight for equal rights and justice continues. But while women have stood up for these issues, they were consistently  ignored by former US. President Donald Trump,. It is past time for justice to be achieved. The Biden administration needs to use its power to listen.

Countless times, Trump has disrespected women with his improper comments and has disregarded many acts previously passed to ensure that women are equally represented in the US. His “administration…quietly disbanded the White House Council on Women and Girls in 2017,” which “was created by Mr. Obama to ensure each of the agencies they’re charged with looks into the needs of women and girls when policies are drafted.” 

In an effort to compensate for Trump’s failures on this issue and better the lives of American women, the Biden administration needs to actively work to protect women and reduce the discrimination they face. Acknowledging that women are still treated differently from men is the first step to working towards an equal society. Currently, women face more violence than men, and are discriminated against in workforces and policies. Think of how long it took to finally have a woman vice president for office: more than a century after women even won the right to vote.

However, Biden has ensured that he will help women gain the equality they deserve. His presidential plan states he will terminate violence aimed at women, something he began with his Violence Against Women Act  in 1994. He also promises to “nominate and appoint people who look like the country they serve.” He will extend premium health care for women and will repass the Obama-Biden decree, previously avoided by Trump’s administration, that advocates for diversity and equality in labor forces. 

We cannot let future generations suffer in the overwhelming fight for women’s rights. We cannot let young girls question their importance in a male-dominated society, or be like older generations of earlier centuries, accustomed to being a shadow of the dominant, strong male figure. And we will not speak up only to be ignored for another century. 

A new presidency calls for a new change. And Gen Z has the chance to fight alongside a new presidency to make sure that women are no longer oppressed. As the face of our future, the decisions Gen Z makes now will impact future generations. And women in today’s society will know that they are being heard, and will have hope for a society that grants them with the most fundamental and principle rights guaranteed to humanity: life, liberty, and equality.