Coletta Zapata seeks a hearing on the opportunity gap for young women and women of color
Her order on Wednesday's agenda asks workforce, youth and school officials to testify. City figures shown to councilors this month: women worked 7% of hours on monitored construction projects, against a 12% goal.
City Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata wants the City Council to look at the barriers young women and women of color face in school, work and leadership in Boston.
Her order for a hearing on "the opportunity gap for young women and women of color" (docket 2043) is on the agenda for the council's Wednesday, Oct. 28 meeting.
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What the order says
The order says young women and women of color face systemic barriers to education, economic mobility, career advancement, leadership and civic life, shaped by race, gender and income. It says mentorship, culturally affirming programs, leadership development and supportive networks can help.
It asks for testimony from the Office of Workforce Development, the Office of Women's Advancement, Boston Centers for Youth and Families and Boston Public Schools, along with workforce groups, educators, community organizations, young women and the public. The order does not propose a specific program or spending.
What our records show
The council has fresh numbers on one piece of the gap: construction jobs on projects the city monitors.
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At an Oct. 15 Labor and Economic Development Committee hearing on the Boston Residents Jobs Policy, city staff said the policy sets goals of 51% of work hours for Boston residents, 40% for people of color and 12% for women (watch at 14:15). Over the past six months, staff reported (watch at 24:09):
- Private projects: 3.1 million hours, 8% worked by women.
- Public projects: 660,000 hours, 5% worked by women.
- Combined: about 3.76 million hours, 7% worked by women, against the 12% goal.
Staff said the White Stadium project had a higher share, about 14% of work hours for women (watch at 34:21). Staff also said compliance with the policy is measured by the steps contractors take, such as submitting payrolls on time, not by whether they hit the hiring goals (watch at 14:38).
The same agenda includes $4.4 million in federal job training grants for the Office of Workforce Development, including a youth program for ages 14 to 24 (our story).
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Coletta Zapata also sponsors an ordinance to give city workers full pay for all 12 weeks of paid parental leave. Its committee hearing, set for Tuesday, was canceled (our story).
What's next
New hearing orders are usually referred to a committee at the meeting where they are introduced. Once a hearing is scheduled, it will appear on the city's public notices page, and video and transcripts will follow on our meetings page.