Urban Matters: First, congratulations on your recent assumption of the leadership of Women Creating Change – which, until a few years ago, was known as the Women’s City Club of New York, a good government group with a proud history stretching back to the fight for women’s suffrage. What direction should WCC be taking today?

Sharon Sewell-Fairman: Our vision is rooted in the principles of our founding women. Today, as we strive for gender equity, we must harness civic engagement and activism to catalyze progress toward economic justice, health and reproductive justice, environmental justice, and also education and safety. 

Our strategy at WCC is defined by inclusivity and intersectionality. At its heart lies a commitment to equipping women and gender-expansive individuals with the resources, tools, and connections to advocate for themselves, foster stronger communities, and fortify our democracy. 

UM: Your own professional background is in what’s known as “workforce development”– the process of matching the labor market to the requirements of employers, while also fostering opportunities for workers to build careers. How will that experience shape your leadership of WCC?

Sewell-Fairman: My more than 30 years in workforce development at local, state, and national levels has uniquely positioned me to lead WCC, giving me a profound understanding of the challenges and disparities women face. 

These challenges have a cascading effect. Without access to high-quality jobs with opportunities for advancement, women remain economically vulnerable and unable to adequately provide for their families and build wealth. 

Moreover, the time and resources needed for civic engagement and community involvement become limited, exacerbating economic, gender, and racial disparities, as those most impacted are unable to actively participate in the democratic process. These multifaceted challenges highlight the critical need for WCC’s work.

UM: In fact, today WCC and the Center for New York City Affairs have released a major new report showing that progress in achieving gender pay equity in the city has stalled in recent years. Based on its findings, what should be the next steps in achieving that goal?

Sewell-Fairman: New York has been a beacon for progressive policies that have contributed to narrowing the pay equity gap. They include paid family leave, increasing the minimum wage, salary transparency legislation, wage theft protection, and other measures. But, unfortunately, offsetting that are the exorbitant cost of living here as well as persistent occupational segregation by gender.

So going forward, we need a comprehensive strategy. It should address the problems I just mentioned, and involve raising wage levels, enhancing benefits, developing career pathways, and establishing mentorship and fellowship programs.

Also crucial is encouraging active involvement by women and gender-expansive individuals in informing and shaping policies that support their rights and needs in the workplace. Their input is invaluable in achieving meaningful change.

A functioning democracy relies on civic engagement. It's through civic participation and activism that we can effectively address the vulnerabilities and weaknesses in our society, including economic, gender, and racial inequities, barriers to civic participation, health and reproductive injustices, educational disparities, gender-based violence, and the challenges of climate change. 

Our aim is to support women who seek to influence policies, enhance community conditions, establish generational wealth, and live in a more just and equitable society. Achieving these goals requires collective efforts from all sectors, working together to transform and uplift New York City.

UM: The research of Harvard economist Claudia Goldin, a 2023 Nobel Prize winner, has focused on the “motherhood penalty,” seen when women’s long-term earnings start to lag men’s almost immediately after having a first child.  How has this motherhood penalty played out here in New York? 

Sewell-Fairman: First, I want to take a moment to celebrate the remarkable Claudia Goldin for her groundbreaking research on women’s workforce participation and gender equity. 

One of the key lessons we've learned from the pandemic is the dire need for a robust childcare infrastructure – nationwide. Without sustainable remote work policies and improved access to affordable childcare, women's ability to maintain their careers and earnings is severely compromised.

The situation is compounded by the fact that a significant portion of the workforce, especially women of color, particularly those on the front lines, are also often the primary caregivers within their families. They also are predominantly employed in care occupations, which often do not receive the recognition and remuneration they deserve. Coming out of the pandemic, it's crucial to recognize that these individuals, as essential workers, are the backbone of our economy and society.

Sharon Sewell-Fairman became president and CEO of Women Creating Change in March, 2023. Previously, she was the chief executive officer of the Workforce Professionals Training Institute, an organization supporting New York City’s workforce training organizations and practitioners.

Photo: Courtesy of the National Employment Law Project.