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Hi John,
It has been quite the week (month? year? Who knows, it’s felt like a decade). But if there’s one thing I’ve taken away from recent events, it’s the power and importance of connection. I’ve said it before, but I’m reminded of it now more than ever: I’m so grateful for the opportunity to write this newsletter because it means connecting with all of you. And I hope you feel the same, John! Whether you live in an area where you’re the only person fighting for gender justice or have a community of people you write letters with and make calls with, you’re a part of a larger community of people committed to making this world better — our community.
All sappiness aside, I wanted to tell you a bit about what’s ahead in the newsletter. My friends and family have been responding to this difficult moment differently: some find comfort in reading every article and every tweet about COVID-19; others find it better for their mental health to avoid as much content as they can aside from what’s necessary to maintain their health and the health of those around them. So! Here’s what we’re going to do: I’ll label everything that’s COVID-19 related as such below, so you can dive in if you like, or avoid if you’d just rather not. Either way, thanks for being with us. We’re so grateful to have you in our community.
FEATURED: COLORING FOR HER, COLORING FOR ALL
Here at the National Women’s Law Center, we put our (virtual) heads together to think about what might provide a sense of calm, relaxation, and feminist joy in this tough moment. Here’s what we came up with: feminist coloring pages! Click on the image below to access a whole bunch of new feminist coloring pages and get started drawing the feminist future we want! Want to share your beautiful art with us? Post it on social with the hashtag #ColoringForHer!
P.S: Major shoutout to Natalie Bui, the amazing illustrator who drew these!
[COVID-19] THIS IS THAT SECTION WHERE WE TALK ABOUT IT
This has been a trying time for a lot of reasons, John. But one of the throughlines that’s really stuck out to me is just how gendered this crisis is, and how it’s disproportionately impacting women. Women are on the front lines of this crisis. Women are 93% of child care workers, 75% of hospital workers, 66% of cashiers and retail salespeople in grocery stores, and 88% of psychiatric, nursing, and home health aides. The (gendered) list goes on, but here’s the point: Women are the ones keeping us going right now.
But these professions have always been important, much before they became the front lines of the crisis. They’ve just been underpaid and undervalued for far too long, precisely because these roles are primarily occupied by women. COVID-19 is exposing, more than ever, the gendered cracks in our foundation.
Congress is finally delivering much-needed assistance during this pandemic. But to be clear: the stimulus package that is expected to pass on Friday doesn't do nearly enough for front-line workers and families. The lasting impacts of this crisis will be too big if Congress stops here. And we won't stop pushing for what women and families need.
Psst: If you want to follow all the work we’ve been doing to help women and workers around COVID-19, here you go!
OKAY, NOW TIME FOR SOME PETS, OUR FEMINIST MOMENT OF JOY THIS WEEK
When things are bad, there’s no com-pet-ition for some pet pictures! This week marked National Puppy Day, but since we err on the side of inclusivity here, we’re including photos of all kinds of NWLC floofs! Not pictured: the love of my life, my dog Willa, whom I adopted a few months ago (pro tip: highly recommend adopting an animal right before a global pandemic!).
Please enjoy these pictures of some of my favorite colleagues (even if they sometimes fur-get to mute themselves on conference calls):
Thank you for being a part of this community with us — we’re thinking of you and yours today, and every day.
Sincerely,
Hannah Finnie (she/her/hers)
Senior Manager of Campaign and Digital Strategies
National Women’s Law Center
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