Power of Participation Event Recap
Last week, we convened with community members, grassroots organizers, changemakers, and advocates for our symposium, The Power of Participation: Women's Voting and Civic Engagement in NYC. Thank you to FPWA, Maya Wiley, our distinguished panelists, and everyone who joined us as we shared findings from our latest research report and engaged in necessary discussions about the power of women’s voices and our collective work to break down barriers to women’s civic engagement.
We are grateful for your support and commitment to ensuring every woman in New York City has the opportunity to influence our democracy.
We were honored to learn from our esteemed panelists Clyanna Lightbourn, Campaign Director at League of Women Voters, Eman Rimawi-Doster, Executive Director, Diversity Includes Disability, Brianna Cea, Executive Director/Founder, Generation Vote, and Allison Lew, Senior Organizer of New Yorkers United for Child Care. Audience members came away from the discussions with a clearer understanding of the ways in which care work, disability status, age, and criminal legal involvement hinder women’s full civic participation.
Highlights & Key Findings:
- Women in NYC consistently outvote men—69% vs. 65% in 2022, with Black women leading at 77%, followed by Latina women at 58% and Asian women at 50%.
- Participation in neighborhood, school, or community groups is a common form of civic engagement—14% of women report involvement, with Black women reporting the highest at 18%.
- Economic insecurity, caregiving responsibilities, and voter access issues are major barriers limiting women’s full civic participation.
- 21% of women cited caregiving or illness as reasons for not voting—nearly double the rate for men.
- 72% of lower-income women vote in person on Election Day, underscoring the need for accessible polling places and trusted community-based voter registration sites.
Policy Recommendations:
- Align New York City local elections with federal election cycles to boost participation and reduce racial and economic disparities.
- Implement same-day voter registration to expand access for first-time voters.
- Fund microgrants that provide direct investment in women who have innovative ideas to address issues in their communities but lack financial resources.
- Invest in youth-led, grassroots organizations that are creating a pipeline toward civic leadership roles.
We’re grateful to everyone who attended our forum to learn more about our report. If you haven’t yet, we encourage you to read the report, digest the findings, and use the data for your advocacy work. Together, we can create a New York City in which all women are fully civically engaged.