Seven in 10 women of color feel positive about the country’s direction, according to national polling data demonstrating the experiences of a mix of minority female voters.
The poll results, released Wednesday, also found that two-thirds of women of color voters were engaged in political activities leading up to the 2020 elections, according to a report by Intersections of Our Lives.
The report analyzes the experiences of Black, Latina and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women voters as they went to the polls in 2020, and the impact the pandemic, racism and policy priorities have had on their lives, Intersections of Our Lives said.
“AAPI women are a powerful elector force and it is clear that we will hold our elected officials accountable to address the issues and barriers that our community and our fellow women of color — whether it’s health care, economic issues, discrimination or reproductive rights,” said Sung Yeon Choimorrow, director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum.
While more than seven in 10 women of color have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, they are are demanding equity and change through an electorate that reflects them among more women and candidates of color running for office, as well as a more intersectional approach to the issues that matter most to them, including access to reproductive health, ending racial discrimination, ensuring access to clean water and improving health care.
“Women of color are an increasingly powerful voting bloc, but efforts to enact restrictions on voting hit us hard. Women of color voters made clear this last election that they are paying attention and won’t be ignored,” said Marcela Howell, president of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda.
