20
Caribbean Life, March 24-30, 2022
Older Women Are Moving New York Forward
By Commissioner
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
roughout New York’s history,
women have taken incredible strides to
create a more equal and just society. As
we celebrate Women’s History Month,
we recognize the great work that New
Yorkers like former First Lady Eleanor
Roosevelt, Congresswoman Shirley
Chisholm and Congresswoman Bella
Abzug accomplished. But there is still
much work to be done. Fortunately
today, women elected ocials are
showing that age does not matter. In
these dicult times, the experience
and knowledge these women bring to
government are clear advantages to
implement and understand the needs
of their constituents.
One of my rst jobs was at the same
agency I have the privilege of leading
today, the Department for the Aging,
where in 1979 I became the Bureau
Chief. Aer decades of working in
various leadership positions in government
and non-prots, the experience I
gained has allowed me to grow as an
eective leader.
Unfortunately, ageism still permeates
to the workplace. Studies have shown
that managers, in some cases without
realizing it, have biases against workers
of a certain age. Some claimed that
these employees do not want to seek a
promotion because they are at the end
of their careers. But there are many
woman elected ocials today in New
York who defy ageism and demonstrate
how eective older women can be.
At the age of 63, Governor Kathy
Hochul, the rst women ever to lead
the state, is continuing her life’s work
to help New Yorkers. Just this January
she signed a bill into law expanding the
denition of elder abuse to include
identity the. en to keep older
adults safe and able to live independently,
the Governor extended
property tax exemptions so they can
continue to aord to live in their
homes.
en there is our state’s Attorney
General, Letitia James, who became
the rst person of color and rst
woman, to ever be elected to this oce,
and is now leading it in her sixties.
Attorney General James has led
national eorts against companies who
are defrauding seniors and is working
with her colleagues in government to
pass legislation that would help
prevent these frauds from occurring.
Speaking of our state legislature,
Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein is
one of the most inuential lawmakers
in the entire state. First elected to the
State Assembly over 40 years ago to
represent the 41st District in Brooklyn,
she currently serves as Chairwoman of
the Ways and Means Committee,
giving her an outsized role in the
budget process. She has also helped
pass legislation to increase property
tax exemptions for older adults, while
bringing insurance companies and
long-term care providers together to
make sure those who need it can
receive the care they need.
We also have older women leading at
the local level. In January, the City
Council voted for Adrienne E. Adams
to be its Speaker. A proud grandmother,
the 61-year-old has represented
Council District 28 in Southeast
Queens for the last ve years. As
Speaker, Ms. Adams has considerable
say in the city’s budget and the body’s
legislative calendar.
New York has always relied on women
and older adults to move our city
forward, and that tradition continues
today. Whether it is in the workforce or
right in their own communities, these
women demonstrate that older New
Yorkers know how to get things done.