An Inclusive Post-COVID World
We started this week talking about the disproportionate impact COVID has had on women, and we’ve also discussed the positive outcomes that can be achieved as a result of our current experience. But, we need to be extremely cognizant of the inequalities that currently make this future inaccessible for many of us. This issue of access is starkly divided along race and class lines. Future remote work implies a current state of working from an office, and the concept of remote work is often championed as a change for consulting, finance, and similar industries. These industries tend to be overwhelmingly white. We see that reflected with COVID, too: who has the privilege to work from home?
We don’t need to tell you more about the disproportionate impact COVID has had on Black and Brown communities. We’re not going to delve into the structures that have shaped and perpetuate this reality. But what we do want to point out, is how much the intersection of race, class, and gender amplifies this crisis for Black and Brown women. Here’s one single example. While women are now spending more time in this pandemic picking up groceries to feed their families, Black and Brown neighborhoods often lack the infrastructure for fresh food. Without a grocery store in the neighborhood, women of color have to travel farther, putting themselves at greater risk. As for grocery delivery, booking is already practically impossible, and only select providers take EBT in select states. “Staying home” is not only an occupational privilege, but also one as fundamental as nutrition during the pandemic.
One of the biggest pitfalls we wanted to avoid was learned during the second-wave feminist movement. The mainstream movement advocated for a woman’s right to work outside the home, but that desired right was already an economic reality for women of color. Not only did the mainstream overlook experience along race lines, but there was (and still is) also a classist view undergirding the definition of “work.” Domestic work, caring for our children, for our homes, for our elders, is still not regarded as important as work done from a desk - but it needs to be. Today, Black and Latina women face a wider pay gap than White or Asian women, and the type of work plays a role. Black and Latina women are more likely to work in lower-paying occupations (such as those in the service sector, those that provide the childcare that’s so important!) due to a structural inaccessibility of quality housing, education, and more.
So when we at Mirza talk about our company’s future, using our data to power structural change, we’re not just talking about work cultures: we’re talking about economic security for all women. Economic inclusion means the economic inclusion of all women. Advocating for women means advocating for the interests of all women. Mirza is going to do everything possible to close the gender pay gap, because improving the lives of all families means we all win. Companies before us may not have learned from our history, but we have, and we’re using what we know to shape the future.
In the meantime, here’s what you can do today.
At work:
Support WOC colleagues at work.
Learn more:
Educate yourself on intersectionality.
Learn about and advocate for policies. Stacey Abrams’ platform from her gubernatorial run is still relevant today. Warren Democrats have put forth policy proposals.
Read more about how COVID is impacting WOC in this article.
Donate:
Support Feeding America to move towards food security.
Help Campaign for Postal Banking to promote access to reliable financial institutions.
Donate to World Central Kitchen to support the folks on the front lines of tackling hunger today.
