Webinar Recap: Women's Priorities in New York State

The discussion highlighted major investments aimed at making it easier for women and caregivers to thrive, including:

• Expanded childcare subsidies and a nearly $500 million investment over two years to launch 2-Care in New York City
• Making pre-K truly universal
• $395 million for year two of free school meals
• Increased school aid and support for working families

Commissioner Miranda acknowledged that women—particularly Black and Latina women—continue to experience significant wage gaps. She pointed to policies designed to address these disparities, including:

• Pay transparency requirements
• Minimum wage increases tied to inflation
• Strong enforcement of New York's anti-discrimination laws

The New York State Division of Human Rights investigates claims of discrimination in employment, housing, education, and public accommodations and awards millions of dollars to New Yorkers every year through its enforcement work.

The conversation also focused on protecting access to care and supporting vulnerable communities. The state has invested:

• $35 million to preserve access to reproductive healthcare services
• $1.3 billion for safety-net hospitals
• Additional funding for maternal health programs in underserved

Commissioner Miranda also emphasized New York's commitment to protecting immigrant communities and ensuring residents know their rights under the state's Human Rights Law, particularly around national origin, language, race, and religion.

As Commissioner Miranda noted, advancing equity requires more than government action. It takes informed communities, strong partnerships, and people willing to get involved. WCC looks forward to continuing these conversations and turning them into action.

Many of these priorities align directly with WCC's ongoing work on affordability, healthcare access, and women's leadership. They are also areas where our partners and coalitions continue to advocate for change, including:

• $30 For Our City by 2030 Campaign: The Raise Up New York Coalition was convened to pass city legislation that would raise the minimum wage and index the minimum wage to inflation and productivity growth.
• Equal Pay Campaign: A movement of nonprofit human services workers, policy experts, community members, & elected officials, fighting for livable wages for human services workers.
• Equal Rights Amendment Coalition: For more than a century, advocates have worked to ensure that the Equal Rights Amendment is included in the U.S. Constitution.
• #JustPay Campaign: Wage Equity Legislation (Int 0452) seeks to close the pay gap between nonprofit work and government human services workers.
• Living Wage for All New York (LW4ANY): Living Wage for All NY Act (A10507) would establish a pathway to a true living wage by tying the statewide minimum wage to an objective living wage calculator, and ensuring annual adjustments so wages keep pace with rising costs. The bill would eliminate all subminimum wages, eliminate the arbitrary minimum wage disparities across the state, and allow local governments to establish higher minimum wages where the cost of living demands it.
• New Yorkers for the Equality Model (NYFEM) Coalition: New Yorkers for the Equality Model (NYFEM) is a statewide coalition of sex trade survivors, human rights advocates, trauma-informed specialists, and direct service providers seeking to implement the Equality Model, an effective legal tool to prevent sex trafficking and sexual exploitation by ending the arrests of people in prostitution, offering them trauma-informed services, while holding their perpetrators, including patronizers (sex buyers) accountable for the harm they cause in New York State.
• New Yorkers United for Childcare: This campaign advocates for free universal child care for every NY child under 5 years of age.

As Commissioner Miranda noted, advancing equity requires more than government action. It takes informed communities, strong partnerships, and people willing to get involved. WCC looks forward to continuing these conversations and turning them into action.