The Hidden Ways That Government Policy Affects Female Entrepreneurs
Fashion designers, artists, actors, and musicians have used their celebrity power in Washington to share stories in support of social causes. Many of them-including Janelle Monáe, Kristen Stewart, and others-joined millions of concerned people at the Women's Marches in Washington and other cities around the world. These grassroots events allowed women to show their strength and express support for big-picture women's rights issues.
But in order to truly effect change and shape societal and business policies in Washington, stakeholders must take their voices further. We must propose policy solutions that go beyond town hall protests by taking part in the federal legislative and rule-making process. As a former counsel and senior policy advisor for the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, I have experienced firsthand the power of constituents, labor supporters, and business organizations coming together to make positive change. But first we have to inform ourselves of the issues.
Government policymaking on privacy and cybersecurity will greatly affect how fashion designers are able to deliver their products and services.
You may not think of updates to intellectual property laws for patent holders, cybersecurity policies to help protect consumer data, and tax reform as core components of initiatives that will further the aims and goals of women's rights. But these are areas that require our attention if we want to assist women-owned startups in growing creative fields.
For example, government policymaking on privacy and cybersecurity-especially encryption-will greatly affect how fashion designers are able to deliver their products and services. Think of your Fitbit or the new sports bra that tracks your heart rate, all that data has to go somewhere, and fashion startups in this field use encryption tools to help secure it. And, of course, e-commerce companies must also use strong cybersecurity practices so that your Amazon or Net-a-Porter login doesn't end up where you don't want it.
Fortunately, there's a government group dedicated to this kind of monitoring. Members of the House Encryption Working Group recently recommended that Congress balance the needs of law enforcement requests for private data with the need for consistently strong encryption. On March 7, a bipartisan group of senators introduced the Cybersecurity Disclosure Act in response to the increase in cyber attacks on companies and data breaches (remember Target, Yahoo, etc.). The bill will require publicly traded companies to disclose whether any member of the company's board is a cybersecurity expert, setting additional reporting requirements for a number of companies in fashion and retail.
The U.S. Department of Commerce also noted in its 2017 report on the Internet of Things (IoT) that it will continue to encourage "strong encryption" for connected devices, and has requested public comments on IoT cybersecurity. As the new administration and Congress move forward on advancing cybersecurity policies, it is important that women entrepreneurs in fashion actively contribute to these discussions.
Female entrepreneurs invested in the fashion industry will also be affected by changes currently before the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee-the congressional committees responsible for drafting upcoming tax reform legislation. These proposals will have a significant impact on businesses that import materials that can only be found in certain regions of the world, even if their end products are constructed in the United States. The proposed Border Adjustment Tax would introduce a 20 percent tax on goods imported into the United States. However, when it comes to engaging Washington on these issues, the manufacturing and tech sectors have been most vocal-not women in fashion and creative fields.
Five years ago, during the 112th Congress, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) led a strong push for copyright protection for fashion designs. The CFDA's presence on Capitol Hill not only resulted in more recognition of the fashion industry's economic power, but also stronger relationships between fashion and members of Congress. More visibility for this kind of advocacy work is needed today.
President Trump has issued an executive order requiring two regulations to be removed for every one that is newly issued. As these proposed changes are identified we must look at who is protected by the old rules and who benefits from new ones. Participation in this process can range from writing to officials during required public comment periods to supporting legal challenges. We must also work with lawmakers on Capitol Hill as congressional committees quickly advance bills through the legislative process.
Leaders in fashion and other creative entrepreneurs should share the economic value and power of their professions when articulating their views.
When individuals ask how they can engage with Washington, I always say, "use your words-your voice." Storytelling is a powerful tool and an effective way to highlight policy issues impacting both business operations and social values. Leaders in fashion and other creative entrepreneurs should share the economic value and power of their professions when articulating their views.
This week at SXSW-the annual tech, music, and film conference in Austin-panelists representing fashion, tech, and the creative community will make political statements about the recent changes in government. But when SXSW ends, we'll all have to return and engage with Washington. We must continue to share our stories. We must continue to use our words and advocate for change through the legislative and regulatory process.
As Nobel laureate Toni Morrison said, "We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal."
Kenya Wiley is a former counsel and senior policy advisor for the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. She currently serves as founder and CEO of the Fashion Innovation Alliance.
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