The pandemic has threatened to undo decades of progress towards gender equality.

Dear New Yorkers,

It’s been clear since the moment COVID-19 arrived in New York City that the burden of the pandemic’s many challenges would fall hardest on women, especially women of color.

From the added work that fell to women at home or in jobs overwhelmingly held by women like nursing or teaching, to the lost economic support and independence for many who lost jobs or left the workforce, the pandemic has threatened to undo decades of progress towards gender equality.

And now even as our city’s recovery is underway, it remains to be seen whether that recovery will be shared equally. Hospitality and retail jobs, which predominantly employ women, have been slow to come back, and challenges like the high cost of child care continue to affect labor force participation.

Join me next week for a discussion co-hosted with Council Members Tiffany Cabán and Shahana Hanif on the gendered impacts of the pandemic and what it will take to secure an inclusive, feminist recovery. ([link removed])
For all the hardship and heartbreak the pandemic brought on, it was also a moment where we saw the very best of what New York can be. In honor of Women’s History Month, my office is spotlighting two exceptional New Yorkers who stepped up in extraordinary ways to help their neighbors during the pandemic and uplifted our entire city in the process.

Watch these inspiring videos about pandemic heroes Nancy Tituaña and Simone Policano:

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Nancy founded Brigada de Esperanza NY, an organization that provides food to the community in need during the pandemic. Her unwavering perseverance makes her a beacon of hope for all that know her.

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Simone Policano co-founded Invisible Hands Deliver, which stepped up during the pandemic to bring food, medicine, and other necessities to elderly, homebound, & immunocompromised individuals.
We all know New Yorkers have the spirit and fight to get through anything. But that doesn’t mean our government should leave critical tasks in the hands of good Samaritans. Together as a City, we must approach our economic recovery with an eye to towards gender justice, from tackling pay equity to expanding child care.

It’s why I’m partnering with Council members Tiffany Cabán and Shahana Hanif to host a forum on March 30th on how we can achieve an inclusive, feminist recovery. Anyone interested can register here ([link removed]) .

Together, we will explore a variety of issues that uniquely and disproportionately impact women, ranging from low wages in the care sector and disparities in access to reproductive health care to accessing safe housing and ensuring freedom from violence at home and in our neighborhoods. I really hope you will join us.

Our economic recovery will not be complete without investments and policy changes that bring more economic justice and safety for cisgender and transgender girls and women in our city. A just and fair recovery for NYC requires ensuring all New Yorkers can afford to live and thrive.

I look forward to diving deeper into these issues with you all next week.

Brad

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