The latest numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that there were 2 million fewer women in the labor force in October 2020 than the year before.
The dip is due to several women leaving to care for their children after schools pivoted to remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this week's In Focus: SoCal, host Tanya McRae kicks off Women's History Month by talking to women who are making a change and empowering other women to do the same, including Assemblymember Cristina Garcia, chair of the California Legislative Women's Caucus, and newly elected Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman.
Garcia, who is working with the Women's Caucus, explained how women, especially women of color, have been disproportionately affected by the ongoing pandemic.
"For a lot of us in the caucus, while it's not surprising, it is disappointing that the pandemic is highlighting inequities and burdens that we already deal with," Garcia said.
She added that the caucus is working to identify priority bills to ensure that women can return to work and have the support they need to be successful. Garcia also said there has been progress in the legislature, but more work needs to be done to elect more females.
Raman recently served as the executive director of Time's Up Entertainment and has an extensive urban planning background. She unseated incumbent David Ryu in the 4th Council district and is the first woman to represent the area. Raman has a candid conversation with McRae about balancing her family and career amid the pandemic.
"My family struggled with childcare through a campaign that ran through the pandemic," said Raman. "Our children were in preschool. The preschool shut down, and so we were doing homeschool. Yet our struggles pale in comparison to so many around us who weren't able to work from home like my partner and I were."
McRae also talks to the CEO of Hispanas Organized for Political Equality. The organization is preparing for its annual Latina Day History Conference, which will take place from March 10-13. The virtual four-day event will empower Latina professionals to strive for new opportunities and offer training and networking opportunities.
Spectrum News 1's Loureen Ayyoub then introduces us to one Compton principal, who created a nonprofit called Haven's House that aids homeless and at-risk youth.
Send us your thoughts at InFocusSocal@charter.com and watch Sundays at 9 a.m. and noon.