Accountability is a priority
Women of color hold strong voting power as their sheer numbers can completely change the outcome of elections. But they feel like policymakers need to take that into account during their campaign tours. According to a poll released on May 9 by Intersections of Our Lives – a collective of three leading women of color-led reproductive justice organizations, the results tell what problems women want to be solved, and their ideal candidate.
"The inflation in the economy is the first issue,” said Rosni Nedungadi, chief research officer and founding partner at HITT Strategies. “It is not just about the cost of shopping at the grocery store, but affordable health care, access to abortion and birth control, and closing the wage gap. You find that mostly Black and Latina women advocate for cheaper and better healthcare across the board." Nedungadi also pointed out that according to the poll, the creation of jobs was the second biggest issue among women. Another was the need for more affordable housing options.
Regina Davis Moss is president and CEO of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda. She said Black women's issues stem from racial injustice, and it's reflected in the data from the poll. " A lot of the policies and concerns we have start with us feeling like we aren't being seen or heard, on top of racism of all kinds. Racism has gone on far too long, and that's one thing all women of color can agree upon." Davis-Moss said as she talked about women wanting leaders who are going to change the system. " We need them to own, understand, and address those issues that impact our daily lives." Davis-Moss also pointed out that reproductive justice is something that needs to be solved immediately as women need all options in all states and not be forced to seek care and asylum in foreign places.
Celinda Lake, president of Lake Research Partners, pointed out that the poll debunked the theory that women can't agree or relate to the same problems. "The data shows that women of color agree on the big and small picture when it comes to problems needed to be solved in the nation," Lake said as she talked about another issue that wasn't mentioned in the poll. " While we didn't have the time to record data on all the issues mentioned, domestic violence was a concern for women of color, and they are fed up with the negligence of this issue."
Lake highlights that 20 years ago, women had the most voting power, and it still stands today. She is happy that younger women know and exercise their voting power. " Women across the nation are holding candidates accountable towards fixing the issues at hand and aren't afraid to vocalize it."
To learn more about the poll and how the data was gathered, visit IntersectionsofOurLive.org for more information.
