The Ms. Foundation Questions the Meaning of Economic Recovery

As part of its ongoing work on economic justice, the Ms. Foundation has recently posted two interesting pieces on our nation’s economic recovery. They share our concern here at NCRW that the efforts currently underway will not lead to an economic recovery for all:

None of the economic recovery policies we've seen thus far sufficiently addresses the urgent needs of low-income people and their communities. This again begs the question advocates have been asking for some time: How will our country recover if we don't respond -- and listen -- to those most affected?

If we are to move our nation towards recovery, we must remember our history—that not everyone was hunky-dory before the recession hit:

in the lives of low-income women and women of color nationwide, insecurity about wages, housing, health care and food have combined to create a cycle of poverty that has long been a reality -- national recession or not.

To ensure this recovery ends in a more equitable economy—and doesn’t take us back in time to the existing inequities of 2007, the Ms. Foundation says “we need to start by questioning what "recovery" means -- and for whom it's intended…” We couldn’t agree more!

Read the posts:
Our Nation's Recovery Depends on Those Most in Need of Jobs
Economic "Recovery": Women's Lives Demand a Longer, More Honest View