In honor of Women’s History Month, the Progressive Policy Institute hosted its first annual series of policy conversations, featuring a salon dinner and a comprehensive policy forum on Capitol Hill. The events focused on health care, workforce, privacy, content moderation, and education. The panels were moderated by PPI’s women policy experts and featured special guests Rep. Suzan DelBene and Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman.
“The Progressive Policy Institute has been leading the charge in Washington to uplift diverse women’s voices to the forefront of policymaking. PPI’s leading women experts make up some of the sharpest and brightest minds in public policy, and we are proud to showcase their knowledge and expertise,” said Will Marshall, President of the Progressive Policy Institute.
“Millions of Americans do not have control over their personal data and sensitive health information. In a post-Roe era, the risks and consequences of this are only heightened. One of the most foundational things that lawmakers can do to protect our information in the digital age is pass a national data privacy standard,” said Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA). “I want to thank the Progressive Policy Institute for convening this discussion on the importance of quickly passing a strong national privacy law that puts people in control of their data.”
The salon dinner — moderated by PPI’s Director of Workforce Development Taylor Maag and featuring Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman — focused on driving gender equity in today’s economy, bringing esteemed leaders in workforce development fields to discuss labor force participation, and persisting gender gaps in STEM and other in-demand pathways.
The policy forum hosted on Capitol Hill consisted of four panel conversations and kicked off with “A Mosaic Moment,” giving attendees the opportunity to network with PPI’s policy experts. PPI President Will Marshall provided opening remarks, and Mosaic Program Director Jasmine Stoughton highlighted how the Mosaic Project is changing the landscape for women in policy.
The “Privacy in a Post-Roe World” panel featured Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA), and was moderated by PPI’s Director of Health Care Policy Erin Delaney and Director of PPI’s Innovation Frontier Project Jordan Shapiro. The panel focused on the future of access to health care resources, the tech sector’s response to securing personal health care data, and what tools are currently available to consumers to protect their health and privacy.
The “Internet as an Organizing Tool for Women’s Movements” panel explored examples of how women have pushed back against institutional inequities and, globally, authoritarian regimes using online platforms. Highlighting the ability for women to share their stories on the internet, the panel discussed how the current model of internet regulation in the United States supports these types of voices. The panel was moderated by PPI’s Technology Policy Analyst Malena Dailey.
“The New Politics of Education” panel, moderated by Co-Director of PPI’s Reinventing America’s Schools Project Tressa Pankovits, focused on how the evolving political landscape around education and parents rights. Taking a look at how women are leading in the education space, the conversation covered how the landscape has been politicized and what elected officials and educators can do to ensure moms are heard while also putting students first.
View photos from the events here:
The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org. Find an expert at PPI and follow us on Twitter.
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Media Contact: Tommy Kaelin; tkaelin@ppionline.org
