盡管在過(guò)去的兩屆美國(guó)國(guó)會(huì)選舉中女性議員數(shù)量有了一定的增長(zhǎng),但美國(guó)人口的女性比例與國(guó)會(huì)女議員的比例之間仍然有24%的差距。然而,這一差距在拜登總統(tǒng)任命的內(nèi)閣成員中并不存在,因?yàn)槠渲械陌霐?shù)都是女性。
拜登內(nèi)閣成員的性別均等十分重要,有兩個(gè)原因,但這兩個(gè)原因都與公平或社會(huì)公正無(wú)關(guān)。
首先,如果當(dāng)權(quán)者的比例能夠精確地體現(xiàn)其所管理人口的比例,代議民主制便可以發(fā)揮最大的作用。如果政治領(lǐng)導(dǎo)層的代表比例不夠,公共政策便會(huì)偏向與統(tǒng)治階層長(zhǎng)相類似或生活方式相似的人群。然而,那些未得到統(tǒng)治階層代表人群的需求則會(huì)遭到忽視。
第二,拜登內(nèi)閣的性別均等將推動(dòng)平等經(jīng)濟(jì)的繁榮。在經(jīng)濟(jì)遭到新冠疫情肆虐的背景下,這意味著政治的性別均等將提振我們的恢復(fù)舉措。
讓我們來(lái)近距離審視一下拜登任命的三位女性內(nèi)閣成員(所有三人都已經(jīng)得到確認(rèn)),以及她們?nèi)绾卧谖磥?lái)幾年中促進(jìn)經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展。
珍妮特·耶倫及其性別預(yù)算編制
自1970年以來(lái),女性通過(guò)提升其勞動(dòng)參與率,為美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)添加了2萬(wàn)億美元的貢獻(xiàn)。布魯金斯學(xué)會(huì)(Brookings Institution)的研究顯示,在過(guò)去40年中,中產(chǎn)階級(jí)家庭超過(guò)90%的總收入增量直接源于女性。
盡管存在這些增量,但由于存在諸多難以逾越、令人生畏的障礙,女性一直無(wú)法完全參與經(jīng)濟(jì)。財(cái)政部部長(zhǎng)珍妮特·耶倫已經(jīng)意識(shí)到了這些障礙,并警告說(shuō)這些障礙將為美國(guó)“經(jīng)濟(jì)的生產(chǎn)能力帶來(lái)巨大損失,然而在眼下,人口的老齡化和疲軟的生產(chǎn)力增速已經(jīng)對(duì)經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)造成了不利影響?!?/font>
為了消除女性經(jīng)濟(jì)參與的障礙,耶倫一直專注于解決結(jié)構(gòu)性失衡問(wèn)題,例如過(guò)去50年出現(xiàn)的工資套利。
自1970年以來(lái),制造業(yè)薪資每增長(zhǎng)1美元便意味著教育成本會(huì)上漲2.33美元,房屋成本會(huì)增長(zhǎng)1.85美元,以及自負(fù)醫(yī)療成本增長(zhǎng)1.42美元。就在這類差異出現(xiàn)的同時(shí),持續(xù)和頑固的性別薪資差距導(dǎo)致職場(chǎng)女性平均每年失去了超過(guò)1萬(wàn)美元的收入。[美國(guó)國(guó)家經(jīng)濟(jì)研究局(National Bureau of Economic Research)的調(diào)查顯示,由于疫情的影響,性別薪資差距進(jìn)一步擴(kuò)大了五個(gè)百分點(diǎn)。]
作為財(cái)政部部長(zhǎng),耶倫將擔(dān)任拜登總統(tǒng)經(jīng)濟(jì)問(wèn)題的首要顧問(wèn),而且能夠建議其如何通過(guò)采取性別公平的舉措來(lái)糾正結(jié)構(gòu)性失衡問(wèn)題。此類方法必須包含基于性別的預(yù)算編制舉措,或通過(guò)跨性別的視角來(lái)制定財(cái)政政策。
基于性別的預(yù)算編制意味著要問(wèn)以下問(wèn)題,比如:在某一領(lǐng)域的投資會(huì)對(duì)不同的性別帶來(lái)哪些不同的影響?基于性別的預(yù)算編制(甚至更好的、帶有種族視角的跨性別預(yù)算編制)將確保美國(guó)人口中不同的群體在政治領(lǐng)袖決定如何分配資源之后不會(huì)掉隊(duì)。
耶倫對(duì)此類方式持接納的態(tài)度。她在擔(dān)任美聯(lián)儲(chǔ)(Federal Reserve)主席期間發(fā)表的一篇演講中提到,如果美國(guó)要提振女性的勞動(dòng)參與率,那么就應(yīng)該考慮推出公共政策,“讓女性和男性更加容易地去實(shí)現(xiàn)家庭和職業(yè)的雙豐收”。她舉了多個(gè)例子,包括改善我們的兒童看護(hù)基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施,并為員工提供更多獲得帶薪探親假的機(jī)會(huì)。
作為參考,在直接用于應(yīng)對(duì)新冠疫情的2萬(wàn)億美元經(jīng)濟(jì)刺激方案中,沒(méi)有1美元在分配時(shí)考慮了性別問(wèn)題,這意味著聯(lián)邦層面對(duì)疫情的響應(yīng)并未考慮疫情對(duì)女性的巨大沖擊。
伊莎貝爾·古茲曼以及為女性領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的企業(yè)提供資助
美國(guó)小企業(yè)管理局(Small Business Administration)是唯一的內(nèi)閣級(jí)別聯(lián)邦機(jī)構(gòu),專門致力于確保美國(guó)小企業(yè)獲得成功。其存在的唯一目的就是幫助企業(yè)家追尋其美國(guó)夢(mèng)。
有鑒于15%的小企業(yè)因?yàn)橐咔槎归],伊莎貝爾·古茲曼(拜登美國(guó)小企業(yè)管理局執(zhí)掌者的提名人選,已經(jīng)在本周得到了確認(rèn))面臨的將是一份艱巨的工作。好消息在于,曾經(jīng)在奧巴馬政府時(shí)期供職于小企業(yè)管理局、最近擔(dān)任加州小企業(yè)支持者辦公室(California’s Office of the Small Business Advocate)主任的古茲曼,對(duì)美國(guó)小企業(yè)團(tuán)體在疫情后存活和興旺所需的一切了如指掌。這些小企業(yè)需要的是在獲取救濟(jì)金、撥款(非貸款)以及聯(lián)邦合約方面擁有公平的機(jī)會(huì)。
關(guān)鍵在于公平的機(jī)會(huì)。古茲曼在最近的一次參議院聽(tīng)證會(huì)上親口說(shuō)道:“很多社區(qū)難以接觸到資本,或面臨著歷史種族主義或障礙,而這些問(wèn)題一直妨礙著他們積累其在接觸資本時(shí)所需的財(cái)富?!?/font>
例如,紐約聯(lián)邦儲(chǔ)備銀行(Federal Reserve Bank of New York)的調(diào)查顯示,盡管有15%的小企業(yè)都因?yàn)樾鹿谝咔槎归],但其中倒閉的有色人種經(jīng)營(yíng)的小企業(yè)卻遠(yuǎn)高于這一水平:在新倒閉的小企業(yè)中,有26%為黑人所有,19%為拉美裔所有,21%為亞洲人所有。
疫情還對(duì)女性所有的企業(yè)帶來(lái)了毀滅性打擊,其倒閉率高達(dá)25%,這個(gè)數(shù)字占到了2020年倒閉企業(yè)總數(shù)的近一半。
這個(gè)不成比例的沖擊源于根植于美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)系統(tǒng)的偏見(jiàn)。正是因?yàn)榇嬖谶@些偏見(jiàn),女性和有色人種收到的資助少于白人男性,也讓他們難以消化經(jīng)濟(jì)下行帶來(lái)的沖擊。更糟糕的是,當(dāng)新冠疫情危機(jī)這類經(jīng)濟(jì)下行事件發(fā)生時(shí),未得到代表的企業(yè)主在獲得援助方面更加困難。去年,僅有5%的企業(yè)收到了《薪資保護(hù)計(jì)劃》資金,而且這些企業(yè)的所有者均為女性。
作為美國(guó)小企業(yè)管理局的主任,古茲曼將負(fù)責(zé)美國(guó)商務(wù)部(U.S. Chamber of Commerce)在其最近的一封信中所描述的“美國(guó)歷史上最大的小企業(yè)救助計(jì)劃”。通過(guò)從性別和種族角度出發(fā)來(lái)謀劃小企業(yè)救助計(jì)劃,古茲曼可以把創(chuàng)新、公平和活力注入美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)的未來(lái)。
借助此舉,我們將收獲女性所有者企業(yè)(占美國(guó)企業(yè)總數(shù)的42%)為經(jīng)濟(jì)創(chuàng)造的效益。美國(guó)運(yùn)通(American Express)的研究顯示,疫情前,女性所有者企業(yè)聘請(qǐng)了940萬(wàn)員工,創(chuàng)造了1.9萬(wàn)億美元的年?duì)I收,而且其增速是全美所有企業(yè)增速的兩倍。
吉娜·雷蒙多與性別關(guān)稅差距
商務(wù)部的一個(gè)主要目標(biāo)就是推動(dòng)美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)。該部門通過(guò)管理商標(biāo)、發(fā)放專利、收集人口數(shù)據(jù),以及支持技術(shù)創(chuàng)新來(lái)實(shí)現(xiàn)這一目標(biāo)。它還通過(guò)提振美國(guó)出口和外貿(mào),助推美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)的增長(zhǎng)。
為了執(zhí)行這一策略重點(diǎn),拜登的商務(wù)部部長(zhǎng)吉娜·雷蒙多將需要重建與美國(guó)貿(mào)易伙伴之間的關(guān)系。隨著她實(shí)施這一策略,雷蒙多能夠利用其擔(dān)任羅德島州長(zhǎng)的經(jīng)驗(yàn),消除我所謂的性別關(guān)稅差距。(是的,即便是進(jìn)口稅也存在性別歧視。)
美國(guó)國(guó)際貿(mào)易委員會(huì)(U.S. International Trade Commission)稱,服裝產(chǎn)品占到美國(guó)家庭總關(guān)稅負(fù)擔(dān)的約75%。Mosbacher Institute稱,2015年,男性服裝的關(guān)稅平均稅率為11.9%,而女性服裝的關(guān)稅平均稅率則為15.1%。就2015年的總支出而言,被劃分為“女性服飾”的產(chǎn)品為消費(fèi)者帶來(lái)了58億美元的關(guān)稅,而“男性服飾”產(chǎn)品關(guān)稅為31億美元。換句話說(shuō),女性本來(lái)就因?yàn)樾詣e薪酬差距而掙的更少,但卻因?yàn)樾詣e關(guān)稅差距而多花錢。
雷蒙多可以迅速采取措施,通過(guò)支持取消按性別劃分的產(chǎn)品關(guān)稅稅差,來(lái)消除美國(guó)關(guān)稅稅率中的這個(gè)漏洞。此前,她在薪酬公平方面有著亮眼的過(guò)往業(yè)績(jī):在羅德島,雷蒙多設(shè)立了一個(gè)匿名舉報(bào)熱線,供人們舉報(bào)基于性別的薪酬差距,她還主導(dǎo)了平等薪酬認(rèn)證標(biāo)識(shí)舉措,并推動(dòng)了薪資歷史禁問(wèn)令。雷蒙多對(duì)實(shí)現(xiàn)跨性別平等的經(jīng)濟(jì)重要性有著深刻的認(rèn)識(shí)。
政治領(lǐng)域的性別均等不僅僅只是公平性的問(wèn)題。它是一個(gè)2萬(wàn)億美元的大規(guī)模經(jīng)濟(jì)機(jī)遇,其附帶的效益將加速美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)的恢復(fù)。如今,為美國(guó)未來(lái)表明立場(chǎng)的時(shí)刻到了。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
卡蒂察·羅伊是一位性別經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家,也是軟件即服務(wù)公司Pipeline的首席執(zhí)行官及創(chuàng)始人,該公司利用人工智能,通過(guò)性別平等來(lái)發(fā)掘和推動(dòng)經(jīng)濟(jì)效益。
譯者:馮豐
審校:夏林
盡管在過(guò)去的兩屆美國(guó)國(guó)會(huì)選舉中女性議員數(shù)量有了一定的增長(zhǎng),但美國(guó)人口的女性比例與國(guó)會(huì)女議員的比例之間仍然有24%的差距。然而,這一差距在拜登總統(tǒng)任命的內(nèi)閣成員中并不存在,因?yàn)槠渲械陌霐?shù)都是女性。
拜登內(nèi)閣成員的性別均等十分重要,有兩個(gè)原因,但這兩個(gè)原因都與公平或社會(huì)公正無(wú)關(guān)。
首先,如果當(dāng)權(quán)者的比例能夠精確地體現(xiàn)其所管理人口的比例,代議民主制便可以發(fā)揮最大的作用。如果政治領(lǐng)導(dǎo)層的代表比例不夠,公共政策便會(huì)偏向與統(tǒng)治階層長(zhǎng)相類似或生活方式相似的人群。然而,那些未得到統(tǒng)治階層代表人群的需求則會(huì)遭到忽視。
第二,拜登內(nèi)閣的性別均等將推動(dòng)平等經(jīng)濟(jì)的繁榮。在經(jīng)濟(jì)遭到新冠疫情肆虐的背景下,這意味著政治的性別均等將提振我們的恢復(fù)舉措。
讓我們來(lái)近距離審視一下拜登任命的三位女性內(nèi)閣成員(所有三人都已經(jīng)得到確認(rèn)),以及她們?nèi)绾卧谖磥?lái)幾年中促進(jìn)經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展。
珍妮特·耶倫及其性別預(yù)算編制
自1970年以來(lái),女性通過(guò)提升其勞動(dòng)參與率,為美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)添加了2萬(wàn)億美元的貢獻(xiàn)。布魯金斯學(xué)會(huì)(Brookings Institution)的研究顯示,在過(guò)去40年中,中產(chǎn)階級(jí)家庭超過(guò)90%的總收入增量直接源于女性。
盡管存在這些增量,但由于存在諸多難以逾越、令人生畏的障礙,女性一直無(wú)法完全參與經(jīng)濟(jì)。財(cái)政部部長(zhǎng)珍妮特·耶倫已經(jīng)意識(shí)到了這些障礙,并警告說(shuō)這些障礙將為美國(guó)“經(jīng)濟(jì)的生產(chǎn)能力帶來(lái)巨大損失,然而在眼下,人口的老齡化和疲軟的生產(chǎn)力增速已經(jīng)對(duì)經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)造成了不利影響。”
為了消除女性經(jīng)濟(jì)參與的障礙,耶倫一直專注于解決結(jié)構(gòu)性失衡問(wèn)題,例如過(guò)去50年出現(xiàn)的工資套利。
自1970年以來(lái),制造業(yè)薪資每增長(zhǎng)1美元便意味著教育成本會(huì)上漲2.33美元,房屋成本會(huì)增長(zhǎng)1.85美元,以及自負(fù)醫(yī)療成本增長(zhǎng)1.42美元。就在這類差異出現(xiàn)的同時(shí),持續(xù)和頑固的性別薪資差距導(dǎo)致職場(chǎng)女性平均每年失去了超過(guò)1萬(wàn)美元的收入。[美國(guó)國(guó)家經(jīng)濟(jì)研究局(National Bureau of Economic Research)的調(diào)查顯示,由于疫情的影響,性別薪資差距進(jìn)一步擴(kuò)大了五個(gè)百分點(diǎn)。]
作為財(cái)政部部長(zhǎng),耶倫將擔(dān)任拜登總統(tǒng)經(jīng)濟(jì)問(wèn)題的首要顧問(wèn),而且能夠建議其如何通過(guò)采取性別公平的舉措來(lái)糾正結(jié)構(gòu)性失衡問(wèn)題。此類方法必須包含基于性別的預(yù)算編制舉措,或通過(guò)跨性別的視角來(lái)制定財(cái)政政策。
基于性別的預(yù)算編制意味著要問(wèn)以下問(wèn)題,比如:在某一領(lǐng)域的投資會(huì)對(duì)不同的性別帶來(lái)哪些不同的影響?基于性別的預(yù)算編制(甚至更好的、帶有種族視角的跨性別預(yù)算編制)將確保美國(guó)人口中不同的群體在政治領(lǐng)袖決定如何分配資源之后不會(huì)掉隊(duì)。
耶倫對(duì)此類方式持接納的態(tài)度。她在擔(dān)任美聯(lián)儲(chǔ)(Federal Reserve)主席期間發(fā)表的一篇演講中提到,如果美國(guó)要提振女性的勞動(dòng)參與率,那么就應(yīng)該考慮推出公共政策,“讓女性和男性更加容易地去實(shí)現(xiàn)家庭和職業(yè)的雙豐收”。她舉了多個(gè)例子,包括改善我們的兒童看護(hù)基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施,并為員工提供更多獲得帶薪探親假的機(jī)會(huì)。
作為參考,在直接用于應(yīng)對(duì)新冠疫情的2萬(wàn)億美元經(jīng)濟(jì)刺激方案中,沒(méi)有1美元在分配時(shí)考慮了性別問(wèn)題,這意味著聯(lián)邦層面對(duì)疫情的響應(yīng)并未考慮疫情對(duì)女性的巨大沖擊。
伊莎貝爾·古茲曼以及為女性領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的企業(yè)提供資助
美國(guó)小企業(yè)管理局(Small Business Administration)是唯一的內(nèi)閣級(jí)別聯(lián)邦機(jī)構(gòu),專門致力于確保美國(guó)小企業(yè)獲得成功。其存在的唯一目的就是幫助企業(yè)家追尋其美國(guó)夢(mèng)。
有鑒于15%的小企業(yè)因?yàn)橐咔槎归],伊莎貝爾·古茲曼(拜登美國(guó)小企業(yè)管理局執(zhí)掌者的提名人選,已經(jīng)在本周得到了確認(rèn))面臨的將是一份艱巨的工作。好消息在于,曾經(jīng)在奧巴馬政府時(shí)期供職于小企業(yè)管理局、最近擔(dān)任加州小企業(yè)支持者辦公室(California’s Office of the Small Business Advocate)主任的古茲曼,對(duì)美國(guó)小企業(yè)團(tuán)體在疫情后存活和興旺所需的一切了如指掌。這些小企業(yè)需要的是在獲取救濟(jì)金、撥款(非貸款)以及聯(lián)邦合約方面擁有公平的機(jī)會(huì)。
關(guān)鍵在于公平的機(jī)會(huì)。古茲曼在最近的一次參議院聽(tīng)證會(huì)上親口說(shuō)道:“很多社區(qū)難以接觸到資本,或面臨著歷史種族主義或障礙,而這些問(wèn)題一直妨礙著他們積累其在接觸資本時(shí)所需的財(cái)富?!?/font>
例如,紐約聯(lián)邦儲(chǔ)備銀行(Federal Reserve Bank of New York)的調(diào)查顯示,盡管有15%的小企業(yè)都因?yàn)樾鹿谝咔槎归],但其中倒閉的有色人種經(jīng)營(yíng)的小企業(yè)卻遠(yuǎn)高于這一水平:在新倒閉的小企業(yè)中,有26%為黑人所有,19%為拉美裔所有,21%為亞洲人所有。
疫情還對(duì)女性所有的企業(yè)帶來(lái)了毀滅性打擊,其倒閉率高達(dá)25%,這個(gè)數(shù)字占到了2020年倒閉企業(yè)總數(shù)的近一半。
這個(gè)不成比例的沖擊源于根植于美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)系統(tǒng)的偏見(jiàn)。正是因?yàn)榇嬖谶@些偏見(jiàn),女性和有色人種收到的資助少于白人男性,也讓他們難以消化經(jīng)濟(jì)下行帶來(lái)的沖擊。更糟糕的是,當(dāng)新冠疫情危機(jī)這類經(jīng)濟(jì)下行事件發(fā)生時(shí),未得到代表的企業(yè)主在獲得援助方面更加困難。去年,僅有5%的企業(yè)收到了《薪資保護(hù)計(jì)劃》資金,而且這些企業(yè)的所有者均為女性。
作為美國(guó)小企業(yè)管理局的主任,古茲曼將負(fù)責(zé)美國(guó)商務(wù)部(U.S. Chamber of Commerce)在其最近的一封信中所描述的“美國(guó)歷史上最大的小企業(yè)救助計(jì)劃”。通過(guò)從性別和種族角度出發(fā)來(lái)謀劃小企業(yè)救助計(jì)劃,古茲曼可以把創(chuàng)新、公平和活力注入美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)的未來(lái)。
借助此舉,我們將收獲女性所有者企業(yè)(占美國(guó)企業(yè)總數(shù)的42%)為經(jīng)濟(jì)創(chuàng)造的效益。美國(guó)運(yùn)通(American Express)的研究顯示,疫情前,女性所有者企業(yè)聘請(qǐng)了940萬(wàn)員工,創(chuàng)造了1.9萬(wàn)億美元的年?duì)I收,而且其增速是全美所有企業(yè)增速的兩倍。
吉娜·雷蒙多與性別關(guān)稅差距
商務(wù)部的一個(gè)主要目標(biāo)就是推動(dòng)美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)。該部門通過(guò)管理商標(biāo)、發(fā)放專利、收集人口數(shù)據(jù),以及支持技術(shù)創(chuàng)新來(lái)實(shí)現(xiàn)這一目標(biāo)。它還通過(guò)提振美國(guó)出口和外貿(mào),助推美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)的增長(zhǎng)。
為了執(zhí)行這一策略重點(diǎn),拜登的商務(wù)部部長(zhǎng)吉娜·雷蒙多將需要重建與美國(guó)貿(mào)易伙伴之間的關(guān)系。隨著她實(shí)施這一策略,雷蒙多能夠利用其擔(dān)任羅德島州長(zhǎng)的經(jīng)驗(yàn),消除我所謂的性別關(guān)稅差距。(是的,即便是進(jìn)口稅也存在性別歧視。)
美國(guó)國(guó)際貿(mào)易委員會(huì)(U.S. International Trade Commission)稱,服裝產(chǎn)品占到美國(guó)家庭總關(guān)稅負(fù)擔(dān)的約75%。Mosbacher Institute稱,2015年,男性服裝的關(guān)稅平均稅率為11.9%,而女性服裝的關(guān)稅平均稅率則為15.1%。就2015年的總支出而言,被劃分為“女性服飾”的產(chǎn)品為消費(fèi)者帶來(lái)了58億美元的關(guān)稅,而“男性服飾”產(chǎn)品關(guān)稅為31億美元。換句話說(shuō),女性本來(lái)就因?yàn)樾詣e薪酬差距而掙的更少,但卻因?yàn)樾詣e關(guān)稅差距而多花錢。
雷蒙多可以迅速采取措施,通過(guò)支持取消按性別劃分的產(chǎn)品關(guān)稅稅差,來(lái)消除美國(guó)關(guān)稅稅率中的這個(gè)漏洞。此前,她在薪酬公平方面有著亮眼的過(guò)往業(yè)績(jī):在羅德島,雷蒙多設(shè)立了一個(gè)匿名舉報(bào)熱線,供人們舉報(bào)基于性別的薪酬差距,她還主導(dǎo)了平等薪酬認(rèn)證標(biāo)識(shí)舉措,并推動(dòng)了薪資歷史禁問(wèn)令。雷蒙多對(duì)實(shí)現(xiàn)跨性別平等的經(jīng)濟(jì)重要性有著深刻的認(rèn)識(shí)。
政治領(lǐng)域的性別均等不僅僅只是公平性的問(wèn)題。它是一個(gè)2萬(wàn)億美元的大規(guī)模經(jīng)濟(jì)機(jī)遇,其附帶的效益將加速美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)的恢復(fù)。如今,為美國(guó)未來(lái)表明立場(chǎng)的時(shí)刻到了。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
卡蒂察·羅伊是一位性別經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家,也是軟件即服務(wù)公司Pipeline的首席執(zhí)行官及創(chuàng)始人,該公司利用人工智能,通過(guò)性別平等來(lái)發(fā)掘和推動(dòng)經(jīng)濟(jì)效益。
譯者:馮豐
審校:夏林
Despite the gains that women have made in the past two congressional elections, there is still a 24-point gap between the percentage of women in the U.S. population and the percentage of women in Congress. That gap, however, does not exist among President Biden’s cabinet nominees, half of whom are women.
Gender parity in Biden’s cabinet matters for two reasons, neither of which have to do with fairness or social justice.
First, representative democracy works best when those in positions of power accurately represent the populations they govern. Without accurate representation among political leadership, public policies skew to the needs of people who look and live like the governing class. The needs of those not represented in power become invisible.
Second, gender parity in Biden’s cabinet will drive equitable economic prosperity. In the context of our pandemic-ridden economy, that means gender parity in politics will accelerate our recovery efforts.
Here’s a closer look at three women Biden has nominated to his cabinet (all three of whom have been confirmed) and how they can catalyze economic health in the coming years.
Janet Yellen and gender-based budgeting
Since 1970, women have added $2 trillion to the U.S. economy by increasing their labor force participation rate. And more than 90% of total income gains for middle-class families over the past four decades is directly attributable to women, according to a Brookings Institution study.
Despite these gains, high and formidable barriers continue holding women back from fully participating in the economy. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has recognized these barriers, warning that they will cause the U.S. to “incur a substantial loss to the productive capacity of our economy at a time when the aging of the population and weak productivity growth are already weighing on economic growth.”
To remove the barriers to women’s economic participation, Yellen has focused on fixing structural imbalances, such as the wage arbitrage that’s occurred over the past 50 years.
Since 1970, every $1 increase in manufacturing wages has corresponded with a $2.33 increase in education costs, a $1.85 increase in housing costs, and a $1.42 increase in out-of-pocket health care costs. This divergence is happening alongside the steady and stubborn gender wage gap that causes the average working woman to miss out on over $10,000 each year. (And as a result of the pandemic, the gender wage gap has widened by five percentage points, according to research from the National Bureau of Economic Research.)
As secretary of the Treasury, Yellen will serve as the principal adviser to President Biden on economic issues and can advise him on how to take a gender-equitable approach to correct structural imbalances. Such an approach must include the practice of gender-based budgeting, or applying the intersectional gender lens to fiscal policy.
Gender-based budgeting means asking questions such as: How would an investment in “X” impact different genders differently? Gender-based budgeting (and even better, intersectional gender-based budgeting with the racial lens) ensures different cohorts of our population don’t get left behind when political leaders decide how to allocate resources.
Yellen has shown an openness to such an approach. She said in a speech during her tenure as Federal Reserve chair that the U.S., in an effort to boost women’s labor force participation rate, should consider public policies that “make it easier for women and men to combine their family and career aspirations.” She gave a handful of examples, including improving our childcare infrastructure and expanding access to paid family leave.
For reference, not a single dollar of the $2 trillion economic stimulus deployed in immediate response to COVID-19 was allocated by applying the gender lens, meaning the federal response to the pandemic didn’t account for the drastic ways women were bearing the brunt of it.
Isabel Guzman and funding for female-led companies
The Small Business Administration (SBA) is the only cabinet-level federal agency dedicated solely to ensuring the success of our nation’s small businesses. It exists for no other reason than to help entrepreneurs pursue the American dream.
With 15% of small businesses now shuttered because of the pandemic, Isabel Guzman—Biden’s nominee to lead the SBA, who was confirmed this week—is walking into a tough job. The good news: Guzman, who worked at the SBA under President Obama and most recently served as director of California's Office of the Small Business Advocate, understands what America’s small-business community needs to survive and thrive post-pandemic. And what it needs is equitable access to relief funding, grants (not loans), and federal contracts.
The key is equitable access. Guzman said it herself during a recent Senate hearing: “There are many communities that face barriers to capital or have experienced historic racism or barriers that have prevented them from building the wealth that’s needed for accessing capital.”
For instance, while 15% of all small businesses closed because of COVID-19, a disproportionate share of those businesses belonged to owners of color: More than 26% of Black-owned, 19% of Latinx-owned, and 21% of Asian-owned businesses are newly closed, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
The pandemic also wreaked havoc on women-owned businesses, 25% of which closed due to the pandemic—a figure that represents almost half of all businesses that closed in 2020.
The disproportionate damage is a result of the biases embedded in our economic system. Because of these biases, women and people of color receive less funding than white male entrepreneurs, leaving them less equipped to absorb the shocks of an economic downturn. Worse, when economic downturns like the COVID-19 crisis do occur, underrepresented business owners have greater difficulties in obtaining aid. Last year, only 5% of the businesses that both received PPP money and disclosed the gender of the owner were female-owned.
As the director of the SBA, Guzman will oversee “the largest small-business relief program in the history of the United States,” as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce described it in a recent letter. By applying the gender and racial lens to relief initiatives for small businesses, Guzman can hardwire innovation, equity, and vibrancy into America’s economic future.
In doing so, we will all reap the benefits that women-owned businesses (i.e., 42% of all U.S. businesses) bestow on the economy. Pre-pandemic, women-owned businesses employed 9.4 million workers, generated annual revenues of $1.9 trillion, and were growing at double the rate of all businesses nationwide, according to research from American Express.
Gina Raimondo and the gender tariff gap
One of the primary goals of the Department of Commerce is to help the U.S. economy grow. It achieves this goal by managing trademarks, issuing patents, collecting demographic data, and supporting technological innovation. It also supports U.S. economic growth by promoting U.S. exports and foreign trade.
To execute on this strategic priority, Biden’s commerce secretary, Gina Raimondo, will need to rebuild relationships with the nation’s trading partners. As she embarks on this initiative, Raimondo can draw on her experience as governor of Rhode Island to close what I call the gender tariff gap. (Yes, even import taxes have gender bias.)
Apparel products make up approximately 75% of the total tariff burden to U.S. households, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission. In 2015, the average tariff rate on male clothing was 11.9%, whereas the average tariff rate on female clothing was 15.1%, according to The Mosbacher Institute. In terms of total dollars spent in 2015, products categorized as “women’s apparel” cost consumers $5.8 billion in tariffs, whereas products categorized as “men’s apparel” cost consumers $3.1 billion in tariffs. In other words, not only do women have less money coming into their wallets because of the gender pay gap, they also have more money going out of their wallets because of the gender tariff gap.
Raimondo can take swift steps to close this loophole in our nation’s tariff code by supporting the removal of rate differences between gender-classified items. She comes to the job as someone with an impressive track record on matters of pay equity: In Rhode Island, Raimondo created an anonymous tip line to report gender-based wage discrepancies, spearheaded efforts for equal pay certification labels, and pushed for salary history bans. Raimondo understands the economic importance of achieving intersectional gender equity.
Gender parity in politics is more than an issue of fairness. It’s a massive, $2 trillion economic opportunity that has the added benefit of expediting our economic recovery. Now is the time to take a stand for America’s future.
Katica Roy is a gender economist and the CEO and founder of Pipeline, a SaaS company that leverages artificial intelligence to identify and drive economic gains through gender equity.