NYC Launches Website To Help Women Make 'Power Moves'

NEW YORK, NY — New York City wants women follow Cardi B's lead and make their own "power moves." City officials on Wednesday launched Women.NYC, a website that puts all the city's social, legal and economic resources for women in one place.

The city offers several different programs to help women find jobs, affordable housing, child care, legal help and funding for businesses. The website and a complementary marketing campaign aim to help women navigate those programs and get what they need more easily.

"These are concrete tools to help women achieve concrete success, and I think that so many women who would benefit from our programs don't use them simply because they actually can't find them," said Alicia Glen, the deputy mayor for housing and economic development.

Women are better off in New York City than other parts of the nation — the Big Apple has more women CEOs than any other city and the smallest wage gap between men and women, Glen said.

But there are still obstacles. Women-owned businesses rake in 61 percent less revenue than those owned by men, and women still earn just 89 cents for each dollar men earn, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio's office.

Women.NYC has links to online resources that aim to help women overcome those barriers, such as the city's Women Entrepreneurs NYC initiative and its free pre-kindergarten program.

The city plans to boost the site with a marketing campaign that will span the five boroughs. It will also be promoted on social media with the hashtag #NYCPowerMove.

In addition to the website and advertising campaign, the Women.NYC initiative will offer workshops and new programs aimed at helping women, the mayor's office said.

The campaign will also call on private employers to eliminate the pay gap by 2028, achieve gender parity in corporate leadership by 2025 and offer six weeks of paid parental leave, officials said.

The site aims to build on the de Blasio administration's efforts to support women and promote gender equality, officials said. The city recently banned employers from asking about salary history, a question that arguably perpetuates the wage gap, and passed sweeping anti-sexual harassment legislation.

"Power means something different for every woman, but we are all better off when women can tap into their power," first lady Chirlane McCray said.

(Lead image: New York City officials launched Women.NYC, a website and marketing campaign that aims to help women connect with city resources. Photo courtesy of Mayor Bill de Blasio's Office)