Gender Equity

THE PLAN FOR GENDER JUSTICE

‍

Too many Chicagoans continue to face discrimination and pay disparities because of their gender. Brandon Johnson is committed to gender equity and justice, and will make the structural changes necessary for all girls, women and transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) persons in Chicago to thrive.

‍

This is how Brandon Johnson’s gender equity and justice plan will transform Chicago into a national model for gender equity and reproductive rights.

‍

Launch Citywide Effort to End Gender-Based Violence and Sexual Assault 

As mayor, Brandon Johnson will introduce a comprehensive citywide effort to end gender-based violence and sexual assault in our city.

‍

Advance Economic Opportunities for Women and Girls

Women in the U.S. still earn 77 cents on the dollar compared to men. Brandon Johnson is going to make Chicago a leader in pay equity, women and minority-owned businesses, and expand economic opportunity so that every Chicagoan can thrive. 

Expand Health Care Access and Protect Reproductive Rights
Brandon Johnson will expand and invest in our public health infrastructure, and create the gold standard for public community care. This includes mental health clinics and clinics that provide abortion, contraception and reproductive care that is safe, free and accessible. 

‍

Strengthen Care Infrastructure

Workers of EVERY sister agency deserve access to 12 weeks of paid parental leave, not just City of Chicago workers. Brandon Johnson will ensure that workers have access to universal child care, elder care, and other crucial support that they need to be able to work - an issue that particularly impacts female workers.

‍

Launch Citywide Effort to End Gender-Based Violence and Sexual Assault 

 🔵 Appoint a citywide commission on domestic violence and sexual assault 

 🔵 Establish new Missing Persons Initiative 

 🔵 Combat violence against Black Trans women

‍

Advance Economic Opportunities for Women and Girls

 🔵 Advocate for and support laws that advance equal pay

 🔵 End the subminimum wage for tipped workers

 🔵 Partner with community organizations to support women-owned businesses

 🔵 Hold companies accountable for workforce commitments to hiring women

‍

Expand Healthcare Access and Protect Reproductive Rights

 🔵 Create new public health clinics

 🔵 Reopen public mental health clinics

 🔵 Expand protections offered in the Patient and Provider Protection Act

 🔵 Protect reproductive care

‍

Strengthen Care Infrastructure

 🔵 Expand paid family and medical leave

 🔵 12 weeks of paid parental leave for sister agency workers

 🔵 Pass Universal Child Care

 🔵 Support Bring Chicago Home ordinance to house city’s 65,000+ unhoused

‍

Launch Citywide Effort to End Gender-Based Violence and Sexual Assault

Appointment of a citywide commission on violence and assault

As mayor, Brandon Johnson will:

• Disseminate information on domestic violence resources for victims, and fully fund a violence hotline number that is accessible and widely available on City websites, in newsletters, and in all City mailings, in multiple languages.
• Partner with schools to develop consistent policies around dating violence in consultation with local advocates and domestic violence organizations. 
• Incentivize businesses to keep survivors employed and to support community efforts such as matched savings programs.  
• Create a domestic violence survivor priority list for public housing.
• Develop a trained care professional unit to address domestic violence crisis calls.
  
  

‍

Create an office of gender equity

Advancing the equal pay agenda, care infrastructure initiatives, and support for victims of domestic and gender-based violence requires laser focus. Upon taking office, Brandon Johnson will launch a new Office of Gender Equity to oversee these structural advancements and provide advocacy organizations and stakeholders with a direct line to City Hall.

‍

Establish new missing persons initiative 

Every June, South Side community leaders hold a march advocating on behalf of missing and murdered Black girls and women of Chicago. CPD data shows that a majority of missing persons cases are young people. We will launch a new CPD Missing Persons Initiative of civilians trained in crisis response and trauma-informed care responsible for finding and bringing justice in these cases. 

‍

Combat violence against trans women of color

The rising rates of murders of Black Trans women in Chicago is deeply alarming, and we will partner with community organizations and TGNC people to uplift the value of Black Trans lives.

‍

Advance Economic Opportunities for Women and Girls

Advocate for and support laws that advance equal pay

The average woman in Illinois still only earns $43,149 annually compared to her male counterpart making $55,585, an earnings ratio of 78% and ranking 38th in the nation — and Chicago is not immune. As mayor, Brandon Johnson will lift up all Equal Pay Days across various racial and ethnic groups, and will advocate for and support laws that advance equal pay, including committing to regular pay equity audits to ensure that city employees are getting paid fairly. This includes working to end the subminimum wage for tipped workers, who are disproportionately women and people of color. 

‍

Support women-owned businesses

Brandon will partner with community-based organizations to support more women-owned and minority-owned businesses, and his administration will streamline the process to access small business resources from the City.

‍

Hold companies accountable

Companies must be held to account for their workforce commitments to hiring women and providing child care. The Office of Gender Equity will oversee efforts to hold these companies accountable and ensure they are living up to their promises.

‍

Expand Health Care Access and Protect Reproductive Rights

Open new public health clinics

The Johnson administration will work to address structural inequalities that leave women of color disproportionately under-insured or with limited access to quality health care — and that starts with public health clinics. The administration will open new public health clinics, especially in low-income neighborhoods of color where current services are woefully inadequate. 

‍

Reopen mental health clinics

Today, women are three times more likely than men to experience common mental health problems. Brandon Johnson is fully committed to re-opening all of Chicago’s public mental clinics, providing communities with much needed substance abuse services and care, and expanded hours to meet the needs of working residents and families. 

‍

Expand protections offered in Patient & Provider Protection Act

A Johnson administration will enforce and expand the protections offered in the Patient and Provider Protection Act recently signed into law by Gov. Pritzker.  This law protects providers and out-of-state patients from legal attacks for abortions, as well as ensures free coverage for gender-affirming hormone medications, abortion-inducing drugs and medicine aimed to safeguard against HIV transmission before and after possible exposure.‍ 

‍

Protect reproductive care

The consequences of the Supreme Court overturning Roe are dire. It is not an exaggeration to say that banning safe, legal and medically assisted abortion will cause great harm. In Illinois, we must continue to be a haven for women of color, young women and women living below the poverty line. We must fight harder for cisgender women, and transgender and non-binary individuals. We must fight for women who will risk their lives and their livelihoods to end an unwanted pregnancy. We must fight for people who no longer have access to basic reproductive health care.

‍

Abortion care is health care and health care is a human right. Brandon is prepared to protect comprehensive reproductive health care in the health insurance plans offered to all City workers — including workers in every sister agency – and ensure that abortion and reproductive care is safe, free and easily accessible.

Strengthen Care Infrastructure

Universal child care, elder care and paid parental leave

Whether for maternity leave or otherwise, the penalty for taking time out of the labor force for American women is significant and only getting worse. That is why strengthening care infrastructure is a top priority for a Johnson administration. Brandon will ensure that workers gain access to universal child care, elder care, family leave, and the critical support that they need to be able to work – an issue that particularly impacts female workers.

‍

Brandon Johnson will make sure that workers from every City sister agency – not just City of Chicago workers – have access to 12 weeks of paid parental leave. Additionally, since there are many different kinds of families that encounter medical issues that require more than short duration leave, Brandon will commit to expanding paid family and medical leave. A policy like this would make the City a model employer of choice. 

‍