White House women: the key players

Barack Obama with his choice of secretary of state and former Democratic candidate rival, Hillary Clinton Photograph: Jeff Haynes/Reuters

Jill Biden, the wife of Democratic vice president Joe Biden, promises to be a high-profile role model for working women Photograph: Rob Carr/AP

Janet Napolitano, who now leads the homeland security department, famously gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention three weeks after a mastectomy Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

UN ambassador Susan Rice formerly acted as senior foreign policy adviser to Obama Photograph: Kevin Wolf/AP

Lisa Jackson, the first African-American head of the Environmental Protection Agency Photograph: AP/AP

Hilda Solis takes on the role of secretary of labor and is devoted to environmental causes Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP

Senior advisor Valerie Jarrett is known as 'the female version of Barack' Photograph: Jae C. Hong/AP

Desiree Rogers, White House social secretary, is a well-connected networker and long term friend of the Obamas Photograph: AP