Crisis highlights women and vital roles in society
Letter to the Editor: Times Union
April 10, 2020
The end of Women's History Month and Equal Pay Day on March 31 was an opportunity to reflect on how the coronavirus affects women in untold ways. Women comprise the majority of health and social care workers and are now on the front lines in confronting the virus.
School closings significantly affect women because they make up 77 percent of teachers and because mothers head 84 percent of single-parent households. Frequently, women juggle caregiving schedules while patching together part-time jobs that garner lower wages and fewer benefits.
Women already make up the ranks of the lowest paying jobs; 70 percent of tipped restaurant workers are women. Many are cleaners, a benign-sounding job now made hazardous with higher risk of exposure. Many women have few or no resources to weather any crisis, especially the drastic loss of income from the coronavirus.
The current crisis demonstrates how women's work is vital to the functioning of our society, says PowherNY, which is committed to securing economic equality for all New York women. It's an opportunity to recognize how their work is woefully under-valued, under-appreciated and underpaid.
This crisis will end, but the need for paid sick leave, equal pay policies, access to affordable and quality child care, job training and closing the employment opportunity gap will remain. Planning, funding and legislation must address these issues.
Barbara Thomas, League of Women Voters of Saratoga County
Times Union: https://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/Crisis-highlights-women-and-vital-roles-in-society-15193451.php
Crisis shows how vital women's work is
Letter to the Editor: Post Star
Mar 30, 2020
As Equal Pay Day approaches on March 31 and Women’s History Month ends, we offer the following on how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting women locally:
Most health and social care workers are women. They are now on the front lines in confronting the virus.
School closings significantly affect women because they make up 77 percent of teachers and because mothers head 84 percent of single-parent households, says PowherNY, which is committed to securing economic equality for all New York women.
As they juggle schedules for caregiving responsibilities, women here in the 21st Congressional District earn 82.1 percent of what men earn, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. They frequently patch together part-time jobs that garner lower wages and fewer benefits.
Many women have few or no resources to weather any crisis, especially the drastic loss of income from the coronavirus.
Our current crisis demonstrates how women’s work is vital to the functioning of our society. It is an opportunity to recognize how their work is woefully undervalued, under-appreciated and underpaid.
In time, this crisis will end, but the need for paid sick leave, equal pay policies, access to affordable and quality child care, job training and closing the employment opportunity gap will continue. Future planning, funding and legislation should and must address these issues.
Barbara Thomas, League of Women Voters of Saratoga County
