The recent increase in the minimum wage has sparked discussion on the effectiveness and adequacy of this measure in helping the most vulnerable sections of U.S. society. Poverty in America discusses how in one aspect, housing, the increased minimum wage makes little or no difference:

"...in no state can an individual working full-time at the minimum wage afford a two-bedroom apartment for his or her family. In fact, there is no county in the U.S. where even a one-bedroom unit at the FMR is affordable to someone working fulltime at the minimum wage." (National Low Income Housing Coalition)

Single working women head of households must use a minimum wage salary to pay for housing and healthcare they cannot afford, as well as food, childcare and increasingly expensive transportation, among other things. It is the lowest paid workers who are also in the most vulnerable positions during the economic recession.

Read full post here.

The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health blog, Nuestra Vida, Nuestra Voz, discusses a 2004 report by Just Detention International on sexual abuse in light of the "explosive growth in rates of immigration detention" in the last five years.

Read the full post here.

WOCPN Executive Director, C. Nicole Mason, has written a piece for Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity on the inadequacy of the current poverty measure and the failed promise of cutting poverty in ten years: "Poor Measurement: What Will It Really Take to Move Individuals and Families out of Poverty in Ten Years?"

Read the full article here.

This week, PolicyLink and the Prevention Institute released a report titled "The Transportation Prescription: Bold New Ideas for Healthy, Equitable Transportation Reform in America."

From the Preface, written by WOCPN Affiliate Scholar Angela Golver Blackwell:

"Transportation policy has enormous potential to catalyze the development of healthy communities of opportunity. The upcoming authorization of the federal surface transportation bill represents the single biggest federal opportunity to influence how our communities, cities, and regions are shaped.

Research shows that low-income communities and communities of color often do not have access to the benefits our transportation system can provide, yet they bear the burdens of that system."

The stimulus package provides $26.6 billion for transportation projects, but leaves the decision on how to spend the money to the states, which have historically favored rural or suburban transportation over metropolitan centers (NYT). This strategy is based on a "model" family that resides outside an urban center, but travels into the city for work. Urban working women of color are left vulnerable to economic insecurity by a transportation system that fails to take account of their needs. Domestic servants and nursing home assistants, for example, work on different transportation patterns--often the exact opposite, traveling from the city to the suburbs for work. Many people also do not follow the traditional 9-to-5 work format and require late-night transportation, which can be unsafe or nonexistent. The need for metropolitan transportation may not be so obvious in cities like New York (though the recent fare increase speaks differently), but cities with urban sprawl like Los Angeles and Houston face a difficult situation. Efficient, safe, cheap and frequent public makes it easier to find and keep jobs, and to balance work and family life. "The Transportation Prescription" addresses some of these issues and others that are imperative for creating a public transportation system that benefits all kinds of people.

From the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health:

"The reproductive health of immigrant women is profoundly affected by immigration policy and the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health supports immigration reform that will include a path to citizenship and protection for all immigrant families. Much of the current immigration reform debate excludes family issues that are important to women.  Just about half of the 35 million immigrants in the US are women, and as such, it is crucial to understand the different reasons that often draw Latina immigrants to the US so their rights can be better addressed by reform efforts."

Read the full article here.

Today marks the increase of the minimum wage to $7.25 as the last step in a legislation devised by Congress that has seen two previous raises: from $5.15 to $5.85/hr in 2007, then to $6.55 last year. Though higher salaries are badly needed, especially for workers in the lowest-paying jobs, the raise fails to address the myriad labor problems that create economic insecurity.

From the NYTimes:

With the latest increase, the minimum wage is still no higher now, after inflation, than it was in the early 1980s, and it is 17 percent lower than its peak in 1968. That means that no matter how hard they work, many low-wage workers keep falling behind. The latest increase will slow the decline in living standards, but it doesn't reverse the overall downward pull.

Even that understates the broader dimensions of the problem.

People of color, who suffer from historical inequalities that exacerbate this "downward pull", are left in an even more vulnerable position.

Read the full NYT article here.

From the NYTimes:

The Obama administration has opened the way for foreign women who are victims of severe domestic beatings and sexual abuse to receive asylum in the United States. The action reverses a Bush administration stance in a protracted and passionate legal battle over the possibilities for battered women to become refugees.

The White House has also explained the requirements for asylum:

In addition to meeting other strict conditions for asylum, abused women will need to show that they are treated by their abuser as subordinates and little better than property, according to an immigration court filing by the administration, and that domestic abuse is widely tolerated in their country. They must show that they could not find protection from institutions at home or by moving to another place within their own country.

The policy is a positive move for the Obama administration and it once again highlights their commitment to addressing violence against women. It is also a bold move to choose an international focus in light of increasing domestic problems and anti-immigration rhetoric. However, the requirements for asylum might become problematic. Pain and suffering are dangerous benchmarks for women in desperate positions.

Read the full article here.

Despite calls from pro-immigrant advocates and big city police chiefs for  humane and just immigration reform, the Obama administration moves to approve enforcement measures that will have an adverse affect on immigrant populations.

Diana Pearce, founder and director of the Center for Women's Welfare and Senior Lecturer at the University of Washington School of Social Work, writes a piece for Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity about alternatives to the current poverty measure in light of its inadequacy addressing poverty in the U.S.

Read her commentary here.

Learn more about the WOCPN's Pass the Measuring American Poverty Act of 2009 Campaign.

Posted by Jennifer Cariño

As debates over health care reform continue, Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) adds an amendment that would ensure all women, regardless of income, would have access to preventive health services, screening and community health service providers.

The much-needed amendment comes on the heels of a new study released by the Kaiser Family Foundation which highlights the continuing disparities women of color face in heath care and access in every American state. The study found that new AIDS cases are 11 times higher among women of color than white women. Also, women of color are twice as likely to have no health insurance and are more likely to receive late or no prenatal care

Today, Catalyst released a report on Women of Color in U.S. Law Firms as part of their Women of Color in Professional Services Series.

"The Women of Color in Professional Services Series has already looked at the situation of women of color working in U.S. accounting and financial services firms; this report focuses on law firms. All these sectors are distinguished by a client-service focus and by historically entrenched "old boys'" networks that make inclusion of "outsider groups" such as women of color extremely difficult.

Building on prior Catalyst research, this study explores how women of color (mainly associates) working in law firms experienced and perceived various aspects of their current jobs: workplace culture, the effectiveness of diversity and inclusion efforts, job satisfaction, intent to leave, work-life needs and challenges, and relationships with influential others (supervising attorneys, mentors, and informal networks).

More specifically, we examined the intersection of race/ethnicity and gender among lawyers in a sample of the top 25 U.S. law firms (ranked by revenue). For the purposes of this research, we have used white male lawyers as our dominant comparison group, since white men continue to occupy most senior positions in U.S. law firms. Such analysis allows us to highlight how substantively distinct experiences--and related disadvantages in professional development and advancement--might result from a combination of identities for women of color."

Read the full report here.

WOCPN Executive Director, Nicole Mason, blogs on the Huffington Post about what Sotomayor should have said regarding her "wise Latina" remark.

"It is disingenuous to deny the role one's background, heritage, and experience play in one's perspective and decision-making. Racial and ethnic minorities and women are the only groups asked to check their identity at the door."

Read the rest of the article here.

From the NY Times:

"Unemployment among blacks in New York City has increased much faster than for whites, and the gap appears to be widening at an accelerating pace, new studies of jobless data have found...Across the nation, the surge in unemployment has cut across all demographic lines, and the gap between blacks and whites has risen, but at a much slower rate than in New York."

Read the rest of the article here.

The White House announces a Woman of Color nominee for Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin.  The Official Press Release outlines some of her accomplishments:

"She is the Founder and CEO of the Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic in Alabama, which aims to provide primary care to people of any age regardless of their financial situation. She previously served as Chair of the Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States, and as the Associate Dean for Rural Health at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. Additionally, she was chosen as President of the Medical Association of Alabama in 2002, becoming the first African-American woman to be president of a state medical society.  She was also the first African-American woman and physician under 40 to be elected to the American Medical Association Board of Trustees. She received the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights in 1998, among other honors."

Dr. Benjamin has also proven to be a caring and considerate practitioner--one of the most famous stories about her tells of her actions during Hurricane Katrina:

"Though the storm had left her in a dire financial situation of her own, she began treating people at her rural family health clinic in coastal Alabama for free -- and sometimes for shrimp or oysters." (ABC News)

The Women of Color Policy Network announces a new Affiliate Scholar:

Robert L. Hawkins
McSilver Assistant Professor in Poverty Studies
Director and Principal Investigator, McSilver Institute for Poverty, Policy, and Research
New York University Silver School of Social Work

(Bio after the jump)

WOCPN Executive Director Nicole Mason was interviewed by CNN, commenting on the huge differences in unemployment rates by race, with black Americans holding the highest rate, and what's "behind the numbers".

 



See video here.

In a CNN Commentary titled "Racial Progress is Far from Finished", Melissa Harris-Lacewell discusses the myth of Post-Racial U.S. and how many African-Americans remain skeptical about racial progress, even after Obama.

Read the article here.

Posted by Intern Joan

The appointment of Lynn Rosenthal as the new White House Advisor on Violence against Women and the funds included in the Recovery Act for comprehensive strategies to address violence against women shows the new administration is strongly committed to this urgent issue.

Posted by Jennifer Cariño

The Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, which would ensure NY nannies, housekeepers and caregivers have the same workplace protections as other employees, lies in the hands of a State Senate in gridlock.

First introduced in 2004, the bill would guarantee New York domestic workers basic work standards and protections, including overtime pay, one day per week off, anti-discrimination protections and collective bargaining rights. This watered down version of the original bill passed the Assembly on June 22, and was delivered to the Senate that day. If passed, approximately, 200,000 domestic workers would benefit from the bill and it would be a first of its kind, which could serve as a model for other states.

In a WNYC interview on June 11,209, Governor Paterson said he would sign the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights if the State Senate is, "able to pass the bill, or if [it's] able to ever get the legislature to come back." Not very reassuring, but supportive nonetheless. Stuck in a stalemate for the fourth consecutive week, important Senate votes on the Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights, same-sex marriage, and even basic local sales tax and bond statues have been set on the backburner.

This is not a Republican or Democratic issue- it's an issue of worker and human rights, which disproportionately affect the lives of women of color and immigrant women. The State Senate needs to get back to work, do their job- and ensure the well-being of those who need their leadership, not partisan immobility. If not for that- future coups may be at risk without someone taking care of their kids.

To support the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights campaign this year, click here.

"This is no newsflash; our safety net is designed specifically around temporary hardship.  Lost your job and need food stamps or cash subsidies for a bit?  No problem!  But if you've got any condition that makes holding a job difficult (disability, young children, lack of a good education and a diploma), then you're screwed.  Time limits, and emphasis on low-wage work at any cost over educational gains and child care assistance guarantees that we will consistently leave (mostly) single mothers with young children behind.  That's how we've chosen to structure the system and it delivers long-term consequences for these households."

Read the rest of the article here

Posted by Intern Joan

On June 29, 2009, in a historic ruling, the Supreme Court reversed the decisions of several lower federal courts in the case of Ricci v. Destefano. The Court rejected New Haven's decision to throw out the firefighter exams on which none of the African Americans tested scored well enough to win immediate promotion. In doing this, the Court set a precedent for a narrower interpretation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, passed to curb employment discrimination. At the intersection of race and class, women of color will be deeply affected by this ruling in the struggle for equal employment opportunity. Title VII was meant for inclusion, not limitation.

Starting next week, the Women of Color Policy Network associates will begin posting analysis and research of current news and events, focusing on their effects on women of color. So far, we have included links to Affiliate Scholar's blogs, interesting and related news and the Huffington Post column of our Executive Director, Nicole Mason. Our new analysis posts will provide an unique viewpoint on relevant current events. Please continue to visit our blog for increased coverage.

From the official White House Press Release:

"Vice President Biden, the author of the landmark Violence Against Women Act, announced today the appointment of Lynn Rosenthal as the new White House Advisor on Violence Against Women. Ms. Rosenthal is one of the nation's foremost experts in domestic violence policy, and has worked at the local, state and national levels to create an environment where violence against women is not ignored and perpetrators are held accountable. This is a newly created position at the White House, dedicated specifically to advising the President and Vice President on domestic violence and sexual assault issues."