Blog

I first learned about the work of Women’s Fund of Rhode Island last spring while reading an article about their work advocating in favor of Senate bill S2183, which would have required many public schools to provide free feminine hygiene products in bathrooms. As a public health major with a strong interest in women’s health and public policy, I was drawn immediately to WFRI’s mission of working towards gender equity through systemic change. During my internship over the past seven months, I have learned so much about the importance of intersectionality when advocating for gender equity, especially within the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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As I write this, votes are still being counted throughout the country in the 2020 election. While we may not know the official outcome of the 2020 Presidential Election for days or maybe weeks…one thing is certain: the voters of Rhode Island have spoken and they want a change. The Speaker of the House was defeated by a Republican challenger, which has left a power vacuum in the General Assembly. 
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She is a full-time tutor, proctor, curriculum developer, headmistress, meal planner, cook, and mother. And she is my classmate.
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In March, I wrote about how COVID-19 is a gender and equity issue; pundits have coined the term "she-cession" about the disproportionate gender impact. Recently, McKinsey and Company updated their annual Women in the Workplace study and found that one in four women are considering downshifting their career or leaving the workforce altogether. This number increases to one in three if they are mothers. Women of color are more deeply impacted. In Rhode Island, 25,000 women have left the workforce. Can we afford to lose even more?
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Today, our hearts are with Breonna Taylor's grief-stricken family and her community. Once again, Black Americans have been let down by our justice system. Too often, stereotypes, biases, and racial oppression are embedded in our laws and public policies, and women of color suffer most from these inequities, and all women suffer as a result. Not only does this have a devastating impact on women's lives, but it also hurts families, communities, future generations, and our entire economy. 
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When I heard the news last night of Justice Ginsburg’s passing, I immediately thought of you, my colleagues at the Women’s Fund. I am writing to share with you how devastated I am by the loss of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She was exceptional in so many ways, but for me, it is her fight for equal justice, and in particular, for the rights of women under the law, that is her enduring legacy. She was a role model for me, as she was to countless other women and men, and she changed my life, though she didn't know it.
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“And so, what I believe is that having a daughter does not make a man decent. Having a wife does not make a decent man. Treating people with dignity and respect makes a decent man.” -Alexandria Ocasio Cortez
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When Dr. Christle Nwora, 26, was applying for her medical residency — the hands-on training that immediately follows medical school — she knew that every facet of her education would be subject to scrutiny like her grades and her performance on rotations. But she also worried that parts of her identity and appearance beyond her control would be judged, too.
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Close your eyes and let me paint an image for you: It’s dinner time. You have two children at home and you are making pasta or mac & cheese for the third or fourth time this week. Your landlord has just knocked on the door asking you for the rest of your rent which you don’t have, and you also need to put gas in your car to go to an interview. You just cannot dig yourself of this hole. This interview could be the start of it, but bills are piling up, rent is constantly weighing on you, but you just don’t know what you are going to do.
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The RI General Assembly is bound to convene at some point as we reopen Rhode Island, and among their top priorities should be the Rhode Island Early Educator Investment Act (H 7271, S 2462, S 2630). This bill will establish a collaboration between the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) and the RI Department of Education (RIDE) to determine a target wage scale for early childhood educators and develop strategies for implementation. The goal will be to create a path to fair wages with the assistance of public funds.
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