Aaliyah Guzman, Author at Feminist Majority Foundation

Proposition 1: New York’s Next Step Toward Equality in a Post-Roe World

Posted on September 30, 2024October 3, 2024 by Aaliyah Guzman

New York stands at a crossroads of history as election signs sprout like late-blooming flowers. This year’s ballot holds more than names; it carries the weight of generations of struggle, hope, and relentless pursuit of equality. New York Proposition 1 isn’t just another line item—it’s the latest chapter in a story that began long before we were born.

Imagine a world where women couldn’t vote, own property, or control their bodies. Imagine the courage to stand up and say, “No more.” That’s where our story begins.

In 1923, three years after women won the right to vote, Alice Paul drafted the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Its original words were simple yet revolutionary: “Men and women shall have equal rights throughout the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction.” For Paul and her sisters-in-arms, this wasn’t just about legal equality – it was about fundamentally reshaping a society built on patriarchal foundations.

Fast-forward to 1972. The ERA passed Congress, riding a wave of second-wave feminist energy. At the same time, feminists were pushing for state ERAs across the country. There are currently 22 states with ERAs included in their state constitutions and 6 states with limited gender equality provisions.

This brings us to New York’s 2024 ballot. Proposition 1 stands as a testament to this legacy of persistence. The proposal amends Article 1, Section 11 of the New York Constitution — the Equal Protection Clause. Section 11 currently protects against unequal treatment based on race, color, creed, and religion. The amendment will expand the protections to gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, reproductive healthcare, and autonomy. This is an important step toward protecting reproductive rights and access in New York.

In the tradition of intersectional feminism, Proposition 1 recognizes that oppression doesn’t exist in a vacuum. By including protections for ethnicity, national origin, age, and disability alongside gender and sexuality, it acknowledges the complex identities that shape our experiences. And yes, it talks about abortion. In a post-Roe v. Wade world, where the right to bodily autonomy can no longer be taken for granted, Proposition 1 stands as a bulwark. In no uncertain terms, it says that reproductive healthcare and autonomy are fundamental rights, as essential as clean air and water.

Of course, some oppose Proposition 1. Their arguments might sound new—judicial overreach, state government overstepping its bounds—but listen closely, and you’ll hear echoes of the past. These are the same voices that said women didn’t need the vote, that the ERA would destroy society, and that reproductive rights were a step too far.

But we’ve heard these voices before and moved forward despite them.

As New Yorkers step into voting booths this November, they’re not just casting a ballot. They’re taking part in a story that stretches back decades, with women and their allies fighting for a more just and equal world.

Proposition 1 is a significant step toward equality. Most of all, it’s a reminder that the fight isn’t over. Each generation has the opportunity—and the responsibility—to push the boundaries of equality a little further. As you vote, remember you’re not just deciding on a law. You’re deciding what kind of future you want to build—a future where equality isn’t just a dream but a constitutional right. a future that honors the struggles of the past while boldly pushing for a more just tomorrow.

The Gender Wage Gap Has Increased for the First Time in 20 Years

Posted on September 23, 2024September 27, 2024 by Aaliyah Guzman

In 2024, it’s nothing short of outrageous that we’re still grappling with a wage gap between men and women. This persistent disparity isn’t just a number on a spreadsheet – it’s a glaring symbol of the systemic sexism that continues to plague our society. For the first time in over 20 years, the gender pay gap has increased between men and women, according to new census data. Furthermore, analysis by the National Partnership for Women & Families provided the following statistics:

Latina women workers are paid 51 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.
Black women workers are paid 64 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.
Asian American women workers are paid 83 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.
White women workers are paid 73 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.
Overall, women are paid $14,170 less than men over the course of a year.

The undervaluing of women’s critical role in the workforce reminds us of the ideologies and beliefs that aim to restrict women’s opportunities. The wage gap isn’t just about money – it’s about power, respect, and the value we place on women’s contributions to society. When we pay women less, we’re sending a clear message that their work, their time, and their expertise are worth less than men’s. This outdated and sexist notion has no place in a society that claims to value equality.

The consequences of this wage disparity ripple through every aspect of women’s lives, creating a domino effect of inequality that extends far beyond the paycheck.

First is financial insecurity. The wage gap is not just about having less spending money – it’s about systemic financial vulnerability. With lower wages, women struggle to build emergency funds. When life throws a curveball – be it a medical emergency, job loss, or global pandemic – women are often left scrambling, forced to take on debt or make impossible choices, especially when they are more likely to be responsible for childcare.

Secondly, the wage gap compounds over time, leading to a retirement savings gap that’s nothing short of catastrophic. On average, women live longer than men, yet they’re expected to survive on significantly smaller nest eggs. This sets the stage for a crisis of elderly poverty that disproportionately affects women. Financial insecurity doesn’t just affect individual women – it ripples through generations. Women with less financial stability are less able to support their children’s education or help them get a start in life, perpetuating cycles of economic disadvantage.

The wage gap acts as both a symptom and a cause of career barriers for women. When women see that certain industries or positions consistently undervalue and underpay them, they’re less likely to pursue those paths. This leads to a need for more female representation in high-paying fields and leadership roles, further entrenching the wage gap. When women are discouraged from specific career paths, we all lose out on their potential innovations and contributions. How many groundbreaking ideas have never seen the light of day because talented women were pushed out of male-dominated fields? The wage gap creates a lower baseline for women in salary negotiations. Even when women negotiate as assertively as men, they often start from a lower initial offer, leading to perpetually lower salaries throughout their careers.

The wage gap doesn’t just affect women at work—it shapes entire family dynamics. When families question who should step back from their careers to care for children or elderly parents, the lower-earning partner is the “logical” choice. Due to the wage gap, this is most often the woman, reinforcing outdated gender roles and stalling career progress. Similarly, the “mommy penalty” is real. Women who take career breaks for caregiving face significant challenges re-entering the workforce, often at lower pay rates. Meanwhile, fathers usually see a “daddy bonus” in wages, widening the gap further.

The wage gap is not just a number—it’s a pervasive force that profoundly and lastingly shapes women’s lives, opportunities, and well-being. It’s a form of economic violence that we must confront and dismantle if we truly believe in equality and justice. The fight for equal pay is for women’s autonomy, dignity, and fundamental human rights. It’s time to recognize the true cost of the wage gap and take decisive action to close it once and for all.

Rolling Back Progress: What the End of Affirmative Action Means for Women’s Equality and Racial Justice

Posted on September 11, 2024September 11, 2024 by Aaliyah Guzman

In a devastating blow to progress, the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to overturn affirmative action in college admissions has begun to unravel decades of hard-won gains for women and students of color in higher education and beyond. Recent statistics from Brown University reported a 40% drop in Black student enrollment in their 2024 freshman class, a disappointing yet predictable outcome. Affirmative action has long been a cornerstone of feminist advocacy, serving as a vital tool to dismantle systemic barriers that have historically excluded marginalized groups from white male-dominated fields. By promoting diversity in higher education, these policies have opened doors for countless women, particularly in STEM fields, where gender disparities remain stark.

The gains made through affirmative action are undeniable. Since its implementation, we’ve seen a significant increase in women’s enrollment in universities and their representation in professional schools. This progress has translated into greater economic opportunities and representation in leadership positions across various sectors. Opponents of affirmative action often tout the idea of a “merit-based” system as a fair alternative. However, this argument fundamentally misunderstands the deep-seated inequalities that persist in our education system and society at large. Standardized tests and traditional metrics of academic achievement often reflect privilege more than true potential or merit.

For women, especially those from marginalized communities, these “merit-based” systems can be particularly punitive. They fail to account for the additional hurdles women face, such as gender bias in STEM education, the disproportionate burden of family care responsibilities, and the subtle yet pervasive discouragement of girls from pursuing certain career paths. Affirmative action, flawed as it might have been, was one of the few tools we had to address these compounded disadvantages. It recognized that equality sometimes requires equity – a level playing field isn’t truly level if some players start miles behind the line.

As a Black woman in the feminist movement, I’ve always known that my experience of gender discrimination is inextricably linked with my knowledge of racial bias. This understanding – intersectionality – isn’t just academic jargon; it’s the lived reality for millions of women across America. Kimberlé Crenshaw’s groundbreaking work on intersectionality in the late 1980s gave us the language to articulate what many of us had long known: oppression doesn’t exist in a vacuum. The challenges faced by a working-class Latina mother in the Bronx fundamentally differ from those encountered by a middle-class white woman in suburbia. Both experience sexism, yes, but the former also grapples with racism, classism, and, often, linguistic discrimination.

I remember my college application process three years ago. Affirmative action policies allowed me to show who I indeed was – not just a set of numbers, but a determined young woman with dreams of making a difference. That opportunity changed the trajectory of my life. But it wasn’t just about me. I saw firsthand how different perspectives enriched our learning in that diverse college environment. My best friend, a white girl from Wisconsin, challenged my urban-centric views. My study group, a mix of races, genders, and socioeconomic backgrounds, taught me more about problem-solving than any textbook ever could.

The Supreme Court’s decision threatens to unravel this tapestry we’ve so carefully woven. It’s not just about college admissions – it’s about who gets to be in the rooms where decisions are made, whose voices are heard in policy discussions, who gets to shape the future of our nation. By limiting diversity in higher education, we risk perpetuating gender imbalances in high-paying professions, leadership positions, and policy-making roles. This, in turn, hampers our ability to address gender-based issues effectively and comprehensively in all spheres of society.

Moreover, diverse educational environments have been shown to benefit all students, fostering creativity, critical thinking, and a more nuanced understanding of complex social issues. By dismantling affirmative action, we’re not just holding back women and minorities; we’re diminishing the quality of education for everyone. I think of the young girls in the younger generations – Black, Latina, Asian, Indigenous – all bright-eyed and full of potential. How do we tell them that the doors cracked open for my generation might be slamming shut for theirs?

The Impact of Gender Violence on Kenya’s Female Athletes

Posted on September 10, 2024September 10, 2024 by Aaliyah Guzman

Ugandan Track and Field Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei was murdered by her partner, Dickson Ndiema, just weeks after returning from the Olympic games. The initial dispute between the couple concerned land she had purchased in Kenya to live closer to training facilities; Ndiema quickly turned violent and doused Cheptegei with petrol and set her on fire. However, this is not an isolated tragedy. In 2021, Kenyan distance runner Agnes Tirop was found stabbed to death in her home in Iten, in northwest Kenya. The perpetrator was her husband, Ibrahim Rotich. This string of high-profile murders highlights an even bigger issue of violence against women: a problem that has reached alarming levels in Africa, particularly in Kenya.

The sleepy town of Iten, nestled along Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, has earned a legendary status in long-distance running. This unassuming place, perched at a breathtaking 8,000 feet above sea level, has become a pilgrimage site for athletes seeking to unlock the secrets of Kenyan running prowess. The region’s dominance in cross-country races, marathons, and road-racing circuits is extraordinary, sparking intense scientific curiosity. Researchers have proposed various theories to explain this phenomenon: perhaps the high altitude training boosts red blood cell production, or the endless stretches of dirt roads provide perfect training grounds. Whatever the reason, year after year, aspiring champions flock to this high-altitude haven, hoping to absorb some of the magic that seems to permeate the very air of Kenya’s running capital. For women in this area, this is a glimmer of hope. It can be a way out of oppressive structures and obtain some form of financial freedom. However, men of the area prey on these young, hopeful runners, promising them coaching and success and then trapping them in abusive relationships. These women who come to Iten are already vulnerable and only find themselves in even more vulnerable situations as these men take advantage of them.

According to recent studies, Kenya has one of the highest rates of femicide in Africa, with hundreds of women and girls losing their lives each year to gender-based violence. In 2022, at least 34% of Kenyan women said they had experienced physical violence, according to a national survey. Femicide, the killing of women and girls because of their gender, is a grave human rights violation forged in the systems of patriarchy that inherently devalue women and treat women as property or second-class citizens. But culture alone doesn’t tell the whole story. Kenya’s economic landscape plays a crucial role. In a country where nearly 40% of the population lives below the poverty line, financial dependency becomes a trap for many women.

However, hope is still possible. Feminists worldwide are stepping into this space and demanding freedom and safety for all women. Legislators such as Hon. Millie Odhiambo have championed laws to protect women in the Kenyan Parliament. The Protection Against Domestic Violence Act of 2015 was a significant step forward, providing legal recourse for victims of abuse. However, Odhiambo notes, “It was not just about awareness or lack of representation – the laws themselves were defective. Gender discrimination was allowed under the old constitution.”

In addition to advocating for new legislation, grassroots organizations are also leading the charge on the ground. In Korogocho, one of Nairobi’s largest slums, the Feminists in Kenya group runs workshops teaching women about their rights and how to seek help. The group Tirop’s Angels was set up to combat gender-based violence in honor of record-breaking Kenyan runner Agnes Tirop, 25, who was stabbed to death at her home. Groups like these, in partnership with legislation, are critical to tackling the struggle of femicide and calling attention to the murder of women. We must work to protect our sisters across the globe, who should not have to continue living in fear every day.