Comptroller Lander, Council Members Cabán and Hanif Outline Steps for a Feminist Post-Pandemic Recovery

New York, NY—New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and Council Members Tiffany Cabán and Shahana Hanif released a twelve-point agenda for a feminist recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic at the close of Women’s History Month.

“The Path Forward to a Feminist Recovery: Twelve Steps NYC Must Take To Advance Gender Equity in the Wake of the Pandemic,” brings the first comprehensive analysis of the gendered impacts of the pandemic in NYC, looking closely at labor force data to assess how the ensuing recession impacted women locally across race and ethnicity. Nearly 220,000 women dropped out of the New York City labor force between the first two quarters of 2020. As of the last quarter of 2021, women’s labor force participation rate in New York City has returned to pre-pandemic levels, but unemployment remains high, particularly among Black women. As of the fourth quarter of 2021, Black women, who comprise 22% of the labor force, now account for more than one in three women unemployed in the city.

Even as the job market returns to pre-pandemic levels, NYC’s recovery remains uneven. Many of the job opportunities which are available to women fail to offer wages sufficient to sustain families, employment protections to ensure stability, or health care benefits. Meanwhile, limited childcare accessibility makes it difficult to look for work altogether.

“Since COVID-19 hit New York City, women, and especially women of color, have been forced to bear the brunt of the economic and emotional toll. While millions worked from home, essential workers, overwhelmingly women of color, went to work in dangerous conditions unsure if they were bringing a deadly virus back home to their families,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif. “I’m proud to be a co-author of one of the first reports from our City that truly investigates the gendered impacts the pandemic has had on New York City. This is not just a critical lens to understand what has happened since March 2020 but also a roadmap to ensure our recovery is truly equitable and centers the most vulnerable New Yorkers. This report is a stark reminder of the deep-seated inequalities that existed before COVID-19 and a blueprint for how we can move forward.”

“A true recovery from this terrible pandemic means meeting people’s needs with feminist compassion and care, not just managing the fallout of their unmet needs with patriarchal punishment and control. This report charts the way forward with clear, viable solutions to the immense challenges we face as a city. Advancing gender equity in response to the gendered impacts of COVID 19 will make this city safer and healthier for all its residents, regardless of gender,” said Council Member Tiffany Cabán.

“Here’s the thing: a feminist recovery means a more thriving and equal city for all of us. The pandemic shined a harsh spotlight on the systemic sexism engrained deep in our economy, and then badly exacerbated it, especially for women and LGBTQ+ people of color – so it must serve as a wake-up call to take on persistent issues of gender equity in our workplaces, our homes, and our communities. When we build a city where everyone has access to care, where workers can support their families, where our streets are safe for women, especially in light of Asian hate crimes—that’s when we’ll have a city where everyone can thrive,” said Comptroller Brad Lander.

The pandemic compounded existing challenges, not just economically but also with respect to women’s safety at home and in their communities. In June 2020, shortly after widespread lockdowns went into effect, calls to New York City’s 24-hour domestic violence hotline, operated by Safe Horizon, were up 50% compared to 2019, and visits to NYC HOPE, the city’s domestic violence website, increased as well. At the same time the police killing of Breonna Taylor in March 2020 underscored the present threat of anti-Black violence while rising violence against East Asian women—including the deaths of Michelle Alyssa Go and Christina Yuna Lee in Manhattan—has acutely compromised Asian women’s ability to feel safe in their neighborhoods and city.

The policy brief lays out an actionable path forward to increase economic justice, health, and safety for women. The twelve recommendations include:

1. Expand Access to Affordable Child Care
2. Support Flexible Scheduling Policies
3. Invest in Quality Elder and Disability Care
4. Establish Universal Just Cause Protections
5. Support Workers in the Gig, Freelance, and Contingent Economy
6. Expand Opportunities for Worker Ownership and Employment in the Trades
7. Lift the Wage Floor and Support Human Services Workers
8. Increase Access to Safe, Affordable Housing for Survivors
9. Invest in Community Safety Strategies
10. Prevent and Respond to Rising Violence Against AAPI Women
11. Increase Access to Reproductive Health Care and Sexual Health Education
12. Expand Health Care Coverage and Increase Language Access

Read the full agenda report here.

###