HR0219 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0219 LRB102 17819 ECR 24187 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to an economic crisis that has affected working Americans and has had a disproportionate effect on women, especially women of color; and

WHEREAS, Women have suffered the full force of this crisis because of inadequate childcare, instability in hard-hit industries, and insufficient health and safety resources; and

WHEREAS, The unpaid domestic work and the essential care work performed by women sustains societies and has immense economic value, yet recovery policies do not adequately support women; and

WHEREAS, Women comprise a majority of workers in industries impacted by COVID-19, including the hospitality, entertainment, healthcare, and restaurant industries; women comprise the majority of midwives, cleaners, launderers, nurses, and other community health workers; and

WHEREAS, Over 50 percent of all essential workers are women, including 78 percent of social workers and 77 percent of healthcare workers; and

WHEREAS, Despite the fact that women are at the forefront of exposure, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is not designed to fit them; surveys have found that less than 30 percent of PPE fits women correctly; and

WHEREAS, When schools are closed to reduce virus transmission, many women are forced to choose between childcare and staying in the workforce; many women have left their jobs or shifted to part-time work to accommodate for school and daycare closings; and

WHEREAS, Women make up the majority of single-parent households and perform 76 percent of unpaid care work; and

WHEREAS, 1 in 4 women who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic have reported that they lost their jobs due to a lack of childcare; and

WHEREAS, Women have been disproportionately affected by unemployment, with women suffering 60 percent of pandemic-related job losses; the unemployment rate for women reached a staggering 16 percent with most of the women affected being Black, Latinx, and disabled women; and

WHEREAS, Forcing women, who already have less savings than men, to drop out of the labor force to perform care work reduces their life-time income by 65 percent, which in turn exacerbates gaps in life-time income; and

WHEREAS, COVID-19-related restrictions also came at the expense of women's health and safety as women's shelters close and resources are reallocated to pandemic response; and

WHEREAS, Economic stress and social stress, coupled with restricted movement and social isolation, have led to an exponential increase in gender-based violence; without the economic and social resources that shelters and crisis centers provide, women are unable to escape abusive partners and face a greater threat of sexual exploitation and trafficking; and

WHEREAS, Pandemic-related restrictions have made it harder for women to seek health services as health clinics close and postpone or restrict non-emergency medical care for pandemic response; and

WHEREAS, The diversion of healthcare resources for the pandemic has exacerbated maternal mortality and morbidity; and

WHEREAS, Transgender women have faced more barriers to gender-affirming medical care, and individuals with uteruses face more difficulties getting gynecological care since the beginning of the pandemic; and

WHEREAS, It is essential that the General Assembly and the Governor fix the unemployment system, fully fund the Child Care Assistance Program, and institute policies that make it easier for caregivers to participate and stay in the workforce; and

WHEREAS, Economic and social policies cannot neglect the work women perform and the issues they face; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge state lawmakers to enact policies, such as prioritizing funding and supporting education including the evidence-based funding formula passed by the General Assembly, Paid Family Leave, Paid Sick Leave, and support programs dedicated to providing women with accessible healthcare and safety resources, including those that address the rate of maternal mortality, especially for Black and Latinx women, to preserve the health, safety, and well-being of women during the COVID-19 Pandemic; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to Governor JB Pritzker and all members of the Illinois General Assembly.