President Joe R. Biden will sign an executive order directing the U.S. Department of Education to review Trump-era changes to Title IX regulations on Monday, which is International Women’s Day, NBC reported.
Under former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, the department shifted how colleges and universities handle sexual harassment and assault cases. Among other changes, the accused have a right to a live hearing where they can cross examine the alleged victim and vice versa. They can also see all evidence against themselves. Because the changes were made through the federal rulemaking process, despite the executive order, the Trump administration regulations could take years to undo via Congress or a second rulemaking process.
“Elevating the status of women and girls globally is the right thing to do — it is a matter of justice, fairness, and decency, and it will lead to a better, more secure, and more prosperous world for us all,” Biden wrote in his International Women’s Day statement. “On International Women’s Day, let us recommit to the principle that our nation, and the world, is at its best when the possibilities for all of our women and girls are limitless.”
Biden is also signing an executive order to establish the White House Gender Policy Council. The goal is “to ensure that every domestic and foreign policy we pursue rests on a foundation of dignity and equity for women,” he said.