Press Release – (New York, NY) – FPWA released the following statement today in response to New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito’s State of the City proposal to institute legislation requiring Racial and Gender Equity Impact Assessments for select government agencies:
“New York is one of the most diverse cities in the nation, home to millions of people, many of whom identify as persons of color, women, and LGBTQIA. While we are a city that thrives on diversity, we must also acknowledge the direct link between discrimination, lack of access to resources, and poverty. To attain true equity, fairness and justice we must begin to assess and address the role race, gender, identity, and sexual orientation has played in marginalizing specific communities and the additional barriers created by both explicit and implicit bias.
Instituting legislation requiring Racial and Gender Equity Impact Assessments for select government agencies will not only acknowledge long-standing institutional biases, but will also establish a basis and process that can ultimately eliminate racial and gender disparities across all NYC systems. We commend Speaker Viverito for putting forth this bold legislation and look forward to continuing our work with the Speaker’s office and the Council to ensure the proposed bill is passed into law.” – Jennifer Jones-Austin, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of FPWA
