Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

This research explores the priorities of the gender equity commission in New York City over forty-five years. Archival commission data was organized thematically to understand the history of gender equity and suggest future possibilities for gender equity beyond New York City. In our historical analysis, we see an expansion of the definition of gender and an adoption of an intersectional approach to gender. We identify four historical gender priorities: sexual harassment and violence, pay equity and economic advancement, health and safety, and gender recognition and celebration. To address systemic issues of gender inequity, we recommend local level administrators embed an intersectional approach in their policies and programming and move away from the commission model to one of a permanent office or agency. These recommendations will better equip municipalities with the resources to increase gender equity, particularly during COVID-19 recovery.

Keywords

gender gender equity municipal government archival research

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Baumle

Amanda K.

Lee Badgett

M. V.

Boutcher

Steven

. 2020. “New Research on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Discrimination: Effect of State Policy on Charges Filed at the EEOC.” Journal of Homosexuality 67 (8): 1135–44. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2019.1603494

Beame

Abraham D.

1975. “Exec. Order No. 28: Establishment of a Commission on the Status of Women.” Office of the Mayor for the City of New York. https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/records/pdf/executive_orders/1975EO028.PDF

Bearfield

D. A

. 2009. “Equity at the Intersection: Public Administration and the Study of Gender.” Public Administration Review 69: 383–6. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2009.01985.x

Bernick

E. M.

Heidbreder

. 2018. “Disproportionately Overrepresented: Women in Local Elected Offices.” State and Local Government Review 50 (3): 165–176. https://doi.org/10.1177/0160323X18813641

Bishu

S. G

. 2017. A Systematic Review of the Gender Pay Gap and Factors That Predict It. Vol. 49, 65–104. Administration and Society.

Bishu

S. G.

Alkadry

M. G.

. 2017. “A Systematic Review of the Gender Pay Gap and Factors That Predict It.” Administration & Society 49 (1): 65–104. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095399716636928.

Breslin

R. A.

Pandey

Riccucci

N. M.

. 2017. “Intersectionality in Public Leadership Research: A Review and Future Research Agenda.” Review of Public Personnel Administration 37 (2): 160–82. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734371X17697118

Burack

Cynthia

. 2018. “Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Human Rights Assistance in the Time of Trump.” Politics & Gender 14 (4): 561–80. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1743923X1800065X

Byrne

Jack

, and Open Society Foundations (New York). 2014. License to Be Yourself: Laws and Advocacy for Legal Gender Recognition of Trans People. London, England: Open Society Foundations.

10.

Cavanagh

. 1997. “Content analysis: concepts, methods and applications.” Nurse Researcher 4 (3): 5–16.

11.

Cavanagh

. 1997. “Content analysis: concepts, methods and applications.” Nurse Researcher 4 (3): 5–16.

12.

Chappell

Louise A

. 2002. Gendering Government Feminist Engagement with the State in Australia and Canada. Vancouver: UBC Press.

13.

Chappell

Curtin

. 2013. “Does Federalism Matter? Evaluating State Architecture and Family and Domestic Violence Policy in Australia and New Zealand.” Publius 43 (1): 24–43. https://doi.org/10.1093/publius/pjs030

14.

City of New York. n.d. “About - CGE.” Nyc.Gov. Accessed July 22, 2021. https://www1.nyc.gov/site/genderequity/about/about.page.

15.

Commission on the Status of Women. 1976. “The First Year of the Commission on the Status of Women, A Report by the Chairperson.” New York City Office of the Mayor.

16.

Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). 1984. “Annual Report 1982-1983.” New York City Office of the Mayor.

17.

Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). 1992. “Sexual Harassment Task Force and Steering Committee.” New York City Office of the Mayor.

18.

Crampton

Suzanne M.

Hodge

John W.

Mishra

Jitendra M.

. 1997. “The Equal Pay Act: The First 30 Years.” Public Personnel Management 26 (3): 335–44. https://ez.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.ez.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/scholarly-journals/equal-pay-act-first-30-years/docview/215940635/se-2?accountid=11724. https://doi.org/10.1177/009102609702600303

19.

Cravens

Royal G

. 2015. “Morality Politics and Municipal LGBT Policy Adoption: A Rare-Event Analysis.” State & Local Government Review 47 (1): 15–25. Accessed July 21, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24638837. https://doi.org/10.1177/0160323X15575185

20.

Crenshaw

. 1989. “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics.” University of Chicago Legal Forum 1: 139–67.

21.

Crenshaw

. 1991. “Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color.” Stanford Law Review 43 (6): 1241–1299. https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039.

22.

CSW 1996-97, Final report. (n.d.). http://www.uky.edu/~csw/cswrpt.html

23.

Das

Roshni

Jain

Kamal K.

Mishra

Sushanta K.

. 2018. “Archival Research: A Neglected Method in Organization Studies.” Benchmarking An International Journal 25 (1): 138–55. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-08-2016-0123

24.

Diggs

S. N.

2022. “Chapter 8: Intersectionality of Gender and Race in Governmental Affairs.” In Handbook on Gender and Public Administration. Vol. 1, 115–131. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781789904734.00016.

25.

Division of Violence Prevention. 2020. “Risk and Protective Factors for Perpetration.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. October 9, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/riskprotectivefactors.html.

26.

Dula

Lauren

Holmes

Maja Husar

Jacobson

Willow S.

Lambright

Kristina T.

. 2021. “What She Said, What He Said: Local Elected Officials’ Views of Effective Leadership Behaviors.” International Journal of Public Leadership 17 (2): 133–44. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPL-10-2020-0107

27.

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. 2018. “Commission.” In Encyclopedia Britannica.

28.

Elias

Nicole M

. 2020. “LGBTQ + Civil Rights: Local Government Efforts in a Volatile Era.” Public Administration Review 80 (6): 1075–86. https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13188

29.

Elias

Nicole

Colvin

Roddrick

. 2020. “A Third Option: Understanding and Assessing Non-Binary Gender Policies in the United States.” Administrative Theory & Praxis 42 (2): 191–211. https://doi.org/10.1080/10841806.2019.1659046

30.

Elo

Satu

Kyngäs

Helvi

. 2008. “The Qualitative Content Analysis Process.” Journal of Advanced Nursing 62 (1): 107–15. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2007.04569.x

31.

England

Paula

Levine

Andrew

Mishel

Emma

. 2020. “Progress Toward Gender Equality in the United States Has Slowed or Stalled.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 117 (13): 6990–97. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1918891117

32.

Feeney

Mary K.

Stritch

Justin M.

. 2019. “Family-Friendly Policies, Gender, and Work–Life Balance in the Public Sector.” Review of Public Personnel Administration 39 (3): 422–48. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734371X17733789

33.

Felkey

Amanda J.

Lybecker

Kristina M.

. 2018. “Do Restrictions Beget Responsibility? The Case of U.s. Abortion Legislation.” The American Economist 63 (1): 59–70. https://doi.org/10.1177/0569434517692972

34.

Flores

Andrew R.

O’Neill

Justin

. 2020. “Transgender-Specific Policy: Gender Identity Inclusion in Public Accommodations.” In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.

35.

Gains

Francesca

Lowndes

Vivien

. 2018. “Gender, Actors, and Institutions at the Local Level: Explaining Variation in Policies to Address Violence Against Women and Girls.” Governance (Oxford, England) 31 (4): 683–99. https://doi.org/10.1111/gove.12329

36.

Gay City News. 2013. “A Salute to Marjorie Hill.” https://gaycitynews.com/a-salute-to-marjorie-hill/

37.

Gaynor

T. S

. 2018. “Social Construction and the Criminalization of Identity: State-Sanctioned Oppression and an Unethical Administration.” Public Integrity 20(4): 358–69. https://doi.org/10.1080/10999922.2017.1416881

38.

Gill

Meier

K. J.

. 2000. “Public Administration Research and Practice: A Methodological Manifesto.” Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory: J-PART 10 (1): 157–99. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.jpart.a024262

39.

Gooden

Susan T

. 2017. “Social Equity and Evidence: Insights from Local Government.” Public Administration Review 77 (6): 822–8. https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.12851

40.

Hamidullah

M. F.

Riccucci

N. M.

. 2017. “Intersectionality and Family-Friendly Policies in the Federal Government: Perceptions of Women of Color.” Administration & Society 49(1): 105–20. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095399715623314

41.

Holman

Mirya R

. 2017. “Women in Local Government: What We Know and Where We Go from Here.” State & Local Government Review 49 (4): 285–96. https://doi.org/10.1177/0160323X17732608

42.

Jaramillo

Grace

. 2020. “Archives in the Study of Public Policy and Administration.” In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.

43.

Jones

Rachel K.

Lindberg

Laura

Witwer

Elizabeth

. 2020. “COVID-19 Abortion Bans and Their Implications for Public Health.” Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 52 (2): 65–8. https://doi.org/10.1363/psrh.12139

44.

Karch

Andrew

. 2020. “Filling a Vacuum: Subnational Governance Amid National Government Inaction.” State & Local Government Review 52 (4): 232–40. https://doi.org/10.1177/0160323X21999585

45.

Klareld

Ann-Sofie

. 2017. “Closer Together or Further Apart? : Public Administration and Archives in the Digital age.”

46.

McCandless

Sean

Elias

Nicole M

. 2021. “Beyond Bostock: Implications for LGBTQ + Theory and Practice.” Administrative Theory & Praxis 43 (1): 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/10841806.2020.1840903

47.

Moghaddam

Alireza Moghaddam

. 2006. “Coding Issues in Grounded Theory”. Issues in Educational Research 16: 52–66.

48.

Murib

Zein

. 2020. “Administering Biology: How ‘Bathroom Bills’ Criminalize and Stigmatize Trans and Gender Nonconforming People in Public Space.” Administrative Theory & Praxis 42 (2): 153–71. https://doi.org/10.1080/10841806.2019.1659048

49.

Nelson

Piatak

. 2021. Intersectionality, Leadership, and Inclusion: How do Racially Underrepresented Women Fare in the Federal Government? Review of Public Personnel Administration 41(2): 294–318. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734371X19881681

50.

Newbold

Stephanie P.

2010. All but Forgotten Thomas Jefferson and the Development of Public Administration. Albany: State University of New York Press.

51.

Platt

Lisa F.

Milam

Sarah R. B.

. 2018. “Public Discomfort with Gender Appearance-Inconsistent Bathroom use: The Oppressive Bind of Bathroom Laws for Transgender Individuals.” Gender Issues 35: 181–201. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12147-017-9197-6.

52.

Scala

Francesca

Paterson

Stephanie

. 2017. “Gendering Public Policy or Rationalizing Gender? Strategic Interventions and GBA + Practice in Canada.” Canadian Journal of Political Science. Revue Canadienne de Science Politique 50 (2): 427–42. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0008423917000221

53.

Schneider

Anne

Ingram

Helen

. 1993. “Social Construction of Target Populations: Implications for Politics and Policy.” The American Political Science Review 87 (2): 334–47. https://doi.org/10.2307/2939044.

54.

Seawright

Jason

. 2008. “Case studies and theory development in the social sciences. by Alexander George and Andrew Bennett. (MIT Press, 2005.).” The Journal of Politics 70 (1): 276–78. Accessed July 21, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022381607080231.

55.

Smith

Amy E.

Hassan

Shahidul

Hatmaker

Deneen M.

DeHart-Davis

Leisha

Humphrey

Nicole

. 2020. “Gender, Race, and Experiences of Workplace Incivility in Public Organizations.” Review of Public Personnel Administration 41 (4): 674–699. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734371X20927760.

56.

Stivers

Camilla

. 1995. “Settlement Women and Bureau men: Constructing a Usable Past for Public Administration.” Public Administration Review 55 (6): 522–9. Gale General OneFile (accessed July 21, 2021). https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A17796108/ITOF?u=cuny_johnjay&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=8e5815d7. https://doi.org/10.2307/3110343

57.

Tafoya

Ben

. 2018. “The Importance of the Public Sector to Economic Success of Women.” PA Times - American Society for Public Administration. September 28, 2018. https://patimes.org/the-importance-of-the-public-sector-to-economic-success-of-women/

58.

Van Donk

Mirjam

. 2000. “Introduction: Local Government: A Strategic Site of Struggle for Gender Equity.” Agenda (Durban) (45): 4–12. https://doi.org/10.2307/4066310

59.

Ventresca

Marc J.

Mohr

John W.

. 2017. “Archival Research Methods.” In The Blackwell Companion to Organizations, 805–28. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

60.

Wasserman

Melanie

. 2018. Gender Differences in Politician Persistence. https://ssrn.com/abstract=3370587

61.

Westbrook

Laurel

Schilt

Kristen

. 2014. “DOING GENDER, DETERMINING GENDER: Transgender People, Gender Panics, and the Maintenance of the Sex/Gender/Sexuality System.” Gender & Society 28 (1): 32–57. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243213503203

62.

Wuest

. 2019. “The Scientific Gaze in American Transgender Politics: Contesting the Meanings of Sex, Gender, and Gender Identity in the Bathroom Rights Cases.” Politics & Gender 15 (2): 336–60. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1743923X18000338

Gender Equity Commission Priorities: An Archival Study and Prospects for the Future

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References