As midterms near, women of color demand solutions to their economic struggles

Two years of a pandemic layered on top of centuries of systemic oppression has been disastrous for communities of color—women most of all. The Supreme Court added insult to injury by gutting access to reproductive health care, forcing women of color to bear an even greater economic burden. New research shows that women of color in particular—a crucial voting bloc that helped elect President Biden—are disengaging from the political process because the very lawmakers they sent to Washington are not doing enough to address their issues. 

To keep them in the fold, Democratic leaders must act now to address their needs.

Equal Rights Advocates recently released its Family Voices research, which surveyed over 600 women across the U.S.—the majority of whom are Black and Latina—to better understand their economic challenges. The findings underscore the urgent need for Congress to enact tangible, long-term solutions that help them.

Half of the women we surveyed told us they barely earn enough to make ends meet. Eighty-five percent of respondents took on additional debt during the pandemic as personal financial circumstances changed and they struggled to cover essentials like rent, utilities, and medical expenses. This is a problem that will compound: nearly 6 in 10 don’t feel confident in their ability to pay off that debt, now or in the future. 

On top of that, an increase in childcare responsibilities during the pandemic caused 38 percent of respondents to cut hours at work and 17 percent to leave their job outright. Many women who kept their jobs had to delay other activities like career advancement, further education, or launching their own business because of a lack of child or family care. This leaves them at a disadvantage as they work toward their long-term financial goals.

For working women, other structural barriers persist, with 30 percent of respondents experiencing gender discrimination at work and 40 percent experiencing racial discrimination. Over time, this, compounded by unpaid caregiving responsibilities oftentimes referred to as the “motherhood penalty,” results in lower wages and diminished leadership opportunities.

It’s no secret that our economic system has been historically stacked against women of color. Post-pandemic, it’s continuing to show signs of getting worse for workers of color. But Democratic leaders in Congress, many of whom were voted into office thanks to the energetic efforts of women of color, have the power and the mandate to change that. Family Voices data shows Congress where it can start by underscoring clear problems that have tangible solutions. Here’s where lawmakers can focus their efforts: 

• Reinstate and make permanent the expanded Child Tax Credit. The credit, which expired last year, helped keep millions of children out of poverty and could significantly help low-income parents balance childcare costs with basic needs such as food, clothing, and rent. The U.S. invests a smaller percentage of our GDP in childcare and early education than almost every other developed nation in the world—it’s time to change that. While it wasn’t included in the Inflation Reduction Act, there’s still hope lawmakers could include it in an end-of-the-year tax deal. They should.
• Forgive student loan debt. Black women hold an outsized share of student loan debt. Without this debt, they could survive this pandemic from a much stronger financial position. President Biden should move forward with his plan to forgive up to $10,000 in student debt for borrowers making under $150,000 a year 
• Enact policies that combat systemic gender and racial barriers and re-orient our economy to work hard for hardworking women across the country. Subsidized child care, a higher federal minimum wage, strong equal pay protections, universal pre-K, and paid leave for caregivers are policies that can grant women economic freedom to invest in their futures while having positive economic impacts for the whole country.  
• Call votes on legislation to codify a national right to abortion until these bills pass. As America enters a post-Roe world, we know that a lack of access to abortion and birth control will disproportionately impact women of color and low-income women. Forced pregnancy in the U.S. leads to loss of work, missed educational opportunities, burdensome medical bills, and even death. What’s more, as states across the country attack reproductive choice, they are also denying basic family support. Poor women and women of color have the most to lose.

The women featured in Equal Rights Advocates’ Family Voicesresearch are the face of a new, and growing, working class in America. Political leaders who continue to ignore the pocketbook concerns of this vital constituency do so at their own peril. These women have spoken, and it’s past time for Congress to listen.

Noreen Farrell is the executive director of Equal Rights Advocates, which fights for gender justice in workplaces and schools across the country