Executive Order 13506: Establishing a White House Council on Women And Girls
President: Barack Obama
Created an interagency White House council to coordinate policies affecting women and girls.
Status: In effect. Is Executive Order 13506 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13506 remains in effect. See Federal Register record.
What does Executive Order 13506 do?
EO 13506 established an advisory council of cabinet and agency leaders, required a federal interagency plan within 150 days and directed outreach on economic, health, education, violence and workforce issues. Its functions were advisory and tied to the Obama administration; later presidents used different structures.
Before and after
Before the order
No comparable Obama-wide council coordinated the full range of women’s and girls’ policy.
After the order
Agencies assessed programs and coordinated recommendations through a White House-led body.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Council chair | Convene and direct work | Completed |
| Agencies | Assess programs and contribute to the plan | Completed |
| Council | Conduct outreach and advise the President | Completed |
What happened next
EO 13506 created the council.
EO 14020 created a separate Gender Policy Council.
EO 14168 dissolved the later council.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
Existing civil-rights, education, employment and appropriations statutes remained controlling; recommendations were not independently enforceable.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 15, 2026. How we research →