Women in the Workforce: A National Emergency

In her February 12th OpEd to the Washington Post, Vice President Kamala Harris discusses the devastating impact the pandemic has had on women in the workforce, calling it a national emergency.

“About 2.5 million women have lost their jobs or dropped out of the workforce during the pandemic. That’s enough to fill 40 football stadiums.”

Layoffs occurred across many industries, but the Vice President points out that a significant number of women had to leave the workforce to care for children and family members.

“Without affordable and accessible child care, working mothers are forced to make an unfair choice. We have to make sure all working mothers have the support they need — during the pandemic and after. Because here’s the truth: Our economy cannot fully recover unless women can fully participate.”

And it’s not just one company or one industry that’s impacted. Our country’s economy would be stronger as a whole if women had as much access as men.

“Studies have shown that our gross domestic product could be 5 percent higher if women participated in the workforce at the same rate as men. And every day that women are out of work, unlocking that potential becomes harder.”