Institutionalizing an Initiative for Girls and Women of Color in New York City The New York City Young Women’s Initiative The Young Women’s Initiative is an intergenerational, participatory governance process led by City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, to center the needs and voices of cis and trans young women and gender nonconforming young people of color ages 12-24. Responding to a national call to action spearheaded by advocates for women and girls of color in 2014 after the launch of My Brother’s Keeper by former President Barack Obama, New York City was the first city in the nation take steps towards an equitable investment in young women and girls of color as had been made for young men and boys of color.
Background The New York City Young Women’s Initiative (YWI)1 is a participatory governance process that convened key decision-makers, city agencies, legislative staff, advocates, and young people themselves to focus on the needs of cis and trans women and girls and gender non-conforming young people of color. Girls for Gender Equity, in partnership with the New York City Council, brought stakeholders to the table and shared the organization’s more than fifteen years of expertise in serving young girls of color in New York City. Knowing that young people are the experts of their own experience, integral to the success of YWI was the Young Women’s Advisory Council (YWAC).2 YWAC held a process whereby cis and trans women and girls of color and gender non-conforming young people, ages 12-24 participated in the City Council’s five working groups to inform policy, program, data, and funding recommendations for New York City. The Young Women’s Initiative process allowed for comprehensive information gathering to identify strengths in existing city programs that serve cis and trans girls and gender non-conforming young people of color in New York City. The process also provided opportunities where emergent and solution-focused innovation could occur as gaps in programming and legislation were identified. As a result of this process - and a desire to work towards equitable spending on young women and girls of color where gaps in outcomes are the greatest, the City Council committed $10 million in discretionary funding over two years (FY16 and FY17), matched by a 1
Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito launched the first initiative dedicated to young women and girls - and transgender and gender-non-conforming (TGNC) communities, focused on communities of color. The recommendations generated from the year-long Young Women’s Initiative process are available at http://shewillbe.nyc/YWI-Report-and-Recommendations.pdf 2 The Young Women’s Advisory Council (YWAC) is a group of young cis and trans women, mostly of color, who served as critical stakeholders who directly informed the New York City Young Women’s Initiative process. YWAC is currently housed at Girls for Gender Equity. More information about this work is available at http://www.ggenyc.org/programs/young-womens-advisory-council/
$10 million philanthropic investment, being housed at the New York Women’s Foundation. Additionally, more than 40 pieces of newly introduced legislation have been passed through New York City Council, impacting existing structural inequities that girls of color and TGNC youth face. National Expansion Eight jurisdictions are replicating the work of the Young Women’s Initiative via the National Philanthropic Collaborative of Young Women’s Initiatives. This formal partnership was announced in May 2018. These jurisdictions are Minnesota (statewide in partnership with the Governor’s office), Birmingham, AL; Houston and Dallas, TX; Western Massachusetts (regionally); Memphis, TN; Jackson, MI; and Washington D.C. A Way Forward in New York City Building on the initiative’s foundational success, Girls for Gender Equity seeks to inform and support citywide efforts to secure a Young Women’s Initiative that is robustly funded and remains part of New York City’s rich tapestry for years to come. Girls for Gender Equity continues to: ● ● ● ●
Engage stakeholders from the Young Women’s Initiative process who are deeply dedicated and invested in the future of this initiative; Convenes organizational recipients of YWI funds to build a centralized space to share key trends, best practices, and recommendations for YWI programming; Tracks recommendations as remaining legislation and program impacts grow; and Houses the New York City Young Women’s Advisory Council
We are eager to see what work will be continued to ensure equity for all New Yorkers anchored by the dedication and work of the New York City Women’s Caucus. We look forward to continuing to partner with the New York City Council.