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Working Closer with Women Online

February 1, 2011 at 8:20 PM ET by Sarah Bernard

Summary:

On January 31st, the White House brought together 25 women-focused online publishers for the first-ever Women's Online Summit.

Yesterday, the White House brought together a diverse group of 25 online programming leaders who touch millions of women across the country for a day of policy briefings and a candid discussion of how to work more closely together. Our challenge to the group was to find the right ways to keep women engaged with their government so that they are better informed and more active citizens.

Much of the day was spent with senior Administration officials taking the group through some key issues and priorities including: the White House Council on Women and Girls, military families, health care, the First Lady's Let's Move! initiative, education, the economy, opportunities for women business owners, workplace flexibility, and the to-be-launched Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.

President Barack Obama drops by the Women's Online Summit in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. January 31, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama was able to stop by, and Valerie Jarrett took questions as we closed out the day. All agreed that this was only the beginning of an ongoing dialogue and relationship.

As part of our continued efforts to engage more citizens online, the Women's Online Summit followed two previous gatherings that reached out to African American and Hispanic communities. (And I hope you didn't miss all of the activity last week around the State of the Union, as we brought 18 sites' communities into the mix for citizen-sourced interviews and roundtables.)

Thanks to everyone who came yesterday: