OPINION
Economic Recovery Must Focus on Women
BY Dee Dee Myers and Jennifer Siebel Newsom
When the pandemic hit , Kehinde Koyejo , who owns the
Oakland small business Kalm Korner by Kehinde , knew she had to act fast . It wasn ’ t easy , but she moved her storefront to her home , rebuilding her business online while also helping her 5-year-old daughter with distance learning .
Like Kehinde , the pandemic has forced difficult and often untenable choices on far too many , especially women . Faced with having to oversee their children ’ s distance learning while working full time , thousands of women are leaving the workforce because their jobs have vanished — or the support systems they rely on have .
In December 2019 , women surpassed men as the majority of the nation ’ s labor force . And now ? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data , almost four times as many women than men left the workforce this January : 275,000 to 71,000 . What ’ s more , women are more than half of the 7 million considered " out of the workforce ” but who want to return to work . For Black women and Latinas , the losses have been even greater .
Scientists at the Center for Economic and Social Research at USC also found that 33 percent of working mothers in two-parent households reported they were the only one providing care for their children , compared to 10 percent of working fathers .
The pandemic has stretched wide systemic inequities and shined a glaring light on long-standing economic inadequacies . As a result , successful economic recovery efforts by the government and businesses alike must focus on women .
Thanks to the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program — one of many programs the state has created to help struggling businesses during the pandemic — Kehinde was able to invest in her company . She ’ ll be hiring an assistant to help her collaborate with other small businesses owned and operated by women of color so that , as she says , “ we are all helping each other and our communities at the same time .”
Gov . Gavin Newsom understands that rebuilding California ’ s economy — and making the changes needed to create a more equitable and prosperous future — requires lifting up those who have too often been left behind , including women . That ’ s why his proposed budget invests so much in women ’ s economic recovery :
1 . Support for small businesses , including women-owned businesses . Increasing access to capital for women-owned businesses is one of the most critical ways California can support women entrepreneurs . The COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant Program would allocate an additional $ 2.075 billion in small business grants on top of the $ 500 million in grants announced in November 2020 ( and rolled out in January ) to help underserved small business groups , including women-owned businesses like Kehinde ’ s . This includes an additional $ 70.6 million for fee waivers to individuals and businesses most impacted by the pandemic , including barbers , cosmetologists , manicurists , bars and restaurants .
2 . Support for women and families with low incomes . With women representing 3 in 5 workers in low-wage industries , women have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and need The Golden State Stimulus to provide that much-needed boost to cover everyday expenses . The proposal would put $ 3.7 billion in the hands of hardworking Californians through a $ 600 state payment to low-income workers who received the earned income tax credit in 2019 ; it will also benefit 2020 Individual Taxpayer Identification Number filers . The $ 600 state payments will also be available to CalWORKS participants , Supplemental Security Income and State Supplementary Payment beneficiaries , and Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants recipients .
3 . Additional support for education , especially early education and child care . Supporting mothers means supporting them as both breadwinners and caregivers . The governor ’ s budget proposal includes $ 250 million to help public school districts expand their transitional kindergarten programs , $ 200 million to expand facilities for kindergarten and transitional kindergarten , and $ 300
If we fail to act , and act quickly , we risk losing entire generations of women from the workforce and unraveling decades of progress .
20 comstocksmag . com | March 2021