The Impact of Women Valued

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Since its founding in June 2016, Legal Momentum's Women Valued Initiative has... 

  • Published The Working Woman’s Bill of Rights, setting forth an unprecedented intersectional and holistic legislative agenda for women’s economic equality, setting priorities in 13 cross-cutting issue areas.
  • Influenced the recent passage of the Stop Sexual Harassment in NYC Act through testimony submitted to the NYC Commission on Human Rights. In its recent report, the Commission cited and relied upon LM’s testimony on sexual harassment to highlight the specialized risks and vulnerabilities faced by low-wage and immigrant workers. The report included many of Legal Momentum’s specific recommendations, including our push for anonymous channels for reporting; employee training, including special training for supervisory and HR employees; extension of reporting deadlines, and a comprehensive education and outreach targeted at low-wage and immigrant women. Thanks to the Commission’s strategic collaboration with the City Council, many of these recommendations were reflected in the City Council’s legislation passed on April 11, 2018.
  • Submitted testimony to NYS Department of Labor advocating for the elimination of the subminimum wage for tipped workers in New York State. LM’s testimony shined much needed light on the fact that the subminimum wage disproportionately hurts women. Specifically, it perpetuates poverty and inequality, sexual harassment, and other forms of exploitation of the most marginalized women, including low-wage workers, women of color, immigrant women, and single mothers.
  • Submitted written regulatory comments to the New York State Compensation Board to ensure fair implementation of the state’s paid family leave law.
  • Submitted opposition letter to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Office of Budget and Management challenging their decision to suspend critical employer reporting of compensation data based on gender. Wage transparency is a crucial tool for tackling pay inequity and LM continues to aggressively fight against the erosion of this simple yet vital reporting tool for achieving equal opportunity for women.
  • Submitted written regulatory comments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau advocating for prompt implementation of Section 1071 of the Dodd Frank Act, which requires financial institutions to submit data on women-owned businesses to address barriers that women face in accessing credit to start and run businesses. This advocacy is part of LM’s work to enhance transparency to ensure that women have equal access to all facets of economic opportunity, including entrepreneurial opportunity, which is an essential means for reducing poverty and improving outcomes for all women. 
  • Signed on to coalition letters to:
    • advocate to amend federal law to strengthen protections against sexual harassment in Congress,
    • eliminate the subminimum wage in New York State,
    • pass the federal Women’s Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Act of 2018,
    • pass the federal Family Act to establish federal paid family leave,
    • pass legislation to enhance protections against sexual harassment in New York State, and
    • pass a salary history ban in New York State.

Current Work

  • LM is actively participating in the PowHer-NY network and the One Fair Wage coalition to advance women’s economic justice in New York State.