100+ Inclusive Gender Justice Organizations Set 2021 Priorities Addressing Child Care, Economic Equity, Equal Rights for All, Comprehensive Sexuality Education, and Elimination of Racist Barriers for Girls
FOR RELEASE: February 11, 2021
In response to the economic devastation and loss caused by the Covid-19 pandemic which has disproportionately affected women, especially low-income workers and women of color, gender justice organizations set an ambitious Action Agenda for the 2021 legislative session. To address the needs of women and families, both in the short and long-term, priorities include: Child Care, Economic Equity, Equal Rights for All, Comprehensive Sexuality Education, and Elimination of Racist Barriers for Girls.
The rigorous selection process facilitated by PowHer™ New York (PowHerNY) and its over 100 Partner organizations is rooted in the messages and recommendations of A Roadmap to Create Inclusive Gender Justice in New York: Building an Equitable Recovery in the Wake of COVID-19 developed by over 50 organizations and experts. The Roadmap lays out a Vision for an inclusive feminist paradigm shift and identifies eight key areas with policy recommendations to forward gender and racial justice. (List of Vision Signatories)
PowherNY’s 2021 priorities reflect the overarching goal of achieving inclusive gender justice outlined in the Roadmap. In addition to these five priorities, PowHerNY will continue to raise the volume on many other issues.We must ensure that New York women not only recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, but also thrive.
Child Care – In partnership with leading coalitions including Empire State Campaign for Child Care and Winning Beginnings, PowHerNY will push for comprehensive budget solutions to build a robust system that supports women’s return to the workforce; stabilizes the child care sector, made up almost entirely of women-owned businesses, many of them women-of color; and sets New York on a path to providing universal access to high quality child care. Essential components of a high quality system are providing fair wages for the workforce that reflects the essential nature of their work, and accessible, well-resourced, diverse and culturally-responsive child care programs that are nurturing environments for all New York children.
Economic Equity – Building on a decade-long campaign to close the wage and opportunity gap for New York women, especially women of color, PowHerNY’s Equal Pay Campaign will advance a new, groundbreaking policy requiring salary range disclosure on all job postings. It will mandate transparency in wages as workers return to an uncertain employment market, giving prospective employees important information to ensure fair pay.
Equal Rights for All – To advance equality for all New Yorkers, PowHerNY will support the creation of a broad and diverse coalition to move forward an amendment that creates expansive protections against discrimination that work to dismantle structural discrimination,ensure essential rights and enshrine them into the New York State Constitution. The Assembly and Senate have same-as bills for the first time (A760 Seawright/ S1268 Krueger), an important step in the three year process.
Comprehensive Sexuality Education – PowHerNY will support the efforts of gender-based violence and reproductive rights advocates and educators to push for educational requirements to help young people acquire information to make healthy decisions about their bodies and relationships. Strong policies will require comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in K-12 schools statewide that includes comprehensive, medically accurate, gender inclusive, LGBTQIA+ affirming, culturally and linguistically responsive, age and developmentally appropriate information, as well as lessons on healthy relationships, consent, bodily autonomy, reproductive health, social emotional skills and awareness of abusive behaviors that can lead to sexual violence, domestic violence and other forms of violence. CSE is an instrument for culture change and a tool to reduce rates of intimate partner violence, sexually transmitted infections, and sexual violence, including sexual assault and sexual harassment.
Eliminating Racist Barriers for Girls – PowHerNY will promote pending legislation, championed by Partner Girls for Gender Equity, to remove pejorative and culturally-loaded language in the State Family Court Act and state education law. This language, including but not limited to the term “incorrigible,” stigmatizes and punishes girls and non-binary youth of color, dragging them into punitive systems of state supervision and hindering future success.
“Advocates across New York call on lawmakers to take affirmative steps to pass laws to create an equitable recovery and future for women, especially women of color. That means addressing racism head on and honoring the inordinate sacrifices of essential workers, the challenges of caregivers, and crushing loss of the unemployed. PowHer New York’s 2021 priorities and Roadmap do just that.” said Beverly Neufeld, President of PowHer New York
“Women have always struggled for equal and fair rights in the workplace when it comes to salaries and advancement opportunities, which has only been exacerbated by the current pandemic. Local 1180 sued the City of New York for this very reason in order to protect our members, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission agreed with us, making a recommendation that we settle with the City for pay parity. After an eight-year-long battle, we obtained $15 million in back pay and salaries,” said Gloria Middleton, President of Communications Workers of America Local 1180
“The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a terrific blow to New York’s child care sector and families that rely on it. Child care programs – almost all owned and staffed by women, often women of color – have been forced to lay off educators, or even close their doors; many are hanging on by a thread. At the same time, as New York turns the corner to recovery, families, particularly mothers, need child care to get back to work. New York has an opportunity to get this right: the Governor’s Child Care Availability Task Force is about to release an ambitious, comprehensive plan to move toward universal access. New York will receive significant federal relief funds which can be used, along with state and ongoing federal funds, to implement the Task Force plan and begin rebuilding. This is our time, New York, to recognize – and fund – child care as a public good that is accessible to all.” said Dede Hill, Director of Policy for Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy and co-facilitator of Empire State Campaign for Child Care
“Comprehensive sexuality education would be beneficial to students across the state. Research has shown that comprehensive sexuality education has positive effects, including increasing the overall health and well-being of young people. Furthermore, comprehensive sexuality education has led to reduced rates of sexual violence and intimate partner violence. In addition to that, comprehensive sexuality education has been shown to help decrease rates of sexually transmitted infections. Providing young people with the tools they need to make healthy decisions about their bodies and relationships is integral to their health and well-being.” said Selena Bennett-Chambers, Policy Director at the New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault
“Our students and young people deserve access to sexuality education that is inclusive and broadens our understanding and empathy for one another. We can no longer accept the bare minimum when it comes to empowering our youth with the tools to navigate friendships, relationships, consent, and sexual health. Sexuality education should cover the entire spectrum of these important issues, and it should empower students in accessing health services and planning for their futures. ” said Robin Chappelle Golston, President & CEO of Planned Parenthood Empire State Acts