Amida Care Applauds Mayor Bill De Blasio for Establishing Commission on Gender Equity

On Wednesday, June 24, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the creation of New York City’s Commission on Gender Equity to achieve economic mobility and social inclusion for all New Yorkers, regardless of sex, gender, or sexual orientation.

The Commission on Gender Equity will serve as an advisory group to the Mayor to support city agency initiatives to break through gender-based inequality and remove barriers to full participation in the personal and professional lives of women, transgender, and intersex individuals, as well as men, to achieve greater gender fairness in the city.

First Lady Chirlane McCray will serve as the honorary Chair of the Commission, which comprises a diverse group of leaders spanning public and private industries, the nonprofit sector, and academia.

“Amida Care commends Mayor de Blasio for his commitment to supporting initiatives that combat gender inequality and discrimination,” said Doug Wirth, President and CEO of Amida Care, the largest special-needs Medicaid health plan in New York State. “Social determinants such as income inequality, unstable housing, mental health stigma, racism, homophobia and transphobia have a direct, adverse impact on the health and well-being of the diverse communities served by Amida Care and our community-based health partners throughout the city. These forces create barriers to care for both women and men living with HIV, severe mental illness, and substance use disorders, or experiencing homelessness. We welcome the Commission on Gender Equity to help tackle these issues.”