New York State Council on Women and Girls
The New York State Council on Women and Girls membership is comprised of the heads of each State agency, ensuring that Commissioners incorporate the rights of women and girls into each program created and policy enacted. The Council is housed in the Executive Chamber of the Office of the Governor, emphasizing the centrality of its work to the overall goals of the Cuomo administration.
A Steering Committee representing women from academia, business, media, and non-profit/advocacy work will advise the Council and serve to elevate issues and concerns. The Steering Committee will meet with and advise agency heads, bringing together private sector experience with government action.
Members on the Council include:
- Melissa DeRosa - Secretary to the Governor
- Kanya Balakrishna - Co-Founder and President, the Future Project
- Dina Bakst - Co-Founder and Co-President, A Better Balance
- Christene Barberich - Global Editor-in-Chief & Co-Founder, Refinery29
- Lilliam Barrios-Paoli - Senior Adviser to the President of Hunter College
- Lisa Borders- President, WNBA
- Heather C. Briccetti, Esq.- President and CEO, The Business Council of New York State, Inc.
- Laura Brounstein - Director, Editorial and Business Development, Cosmopolitan and Seventeen Magazine
- Robin Chappelle Golston - CEO, Planned Parenthood Empire State Acts
- Beverly Cooper Neufield - Founder and President, POWHer New York
- Kimberlé Crenshaw - Professor of Law, Columbia Law School
- Michelle Ebanks - President, Essence Communications Inc. and People en Espanol
- Cathy Engelbert - CEO, Deloitte
- Eileen Fisher- Founder and Chairwoman, EILEEN FISHER, Inc.
- Anne Fulenwider - Editor-in-Chief of Marie Claire US
- Liliana Gil Valletta - CEO and Co-Founder, CIEN+ and Creator, Dreamers Ventures
- Audrey Gelman - CEO and Co-Founder of The Wing
- Hayley Gorenberg - Deputy Director and General Counsel, Lambda Legal
- Eve Guillergan - Principal Attorney, Eve Guillergan PLLC
- Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul
- Karen Ignagni - President and CEO, EmblemHealth
- June Jee - Board Member and Immediate Past President, OCA-NY
- Kristina Johnson - Chancellor, SUNY
- Karen King - Executive Director, The Erie County Commission on the Status of Women
- Cindi Leive, Journalist and former Editor-in-Chief, Glamour and Self
- Donna Lieberman - Executive Director, New York Civil Liberties Union
- Andrea Miller - President, National Institute for Reproductive Health
- Rebecca Minkoff - Creative Director and Co-Founder, Rebecca Minkoff
- Ana Oliveira - President and CEO, The New York Women's Foundation
- Sonia Ossorio - President and CEO, National Organization for Women New York
- Stephanie Redish Hofmann - Director of Agency Development, Google
- Hilda Rosario Escher - President and CEO of Ibero American Action League
- Christine Sadowski - YWCAs of New York State
- Faiza J. Saeed - Presiding Partner, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP
- Pamela Shifman - Executive Director, NoVo Foundation
- Ruchi Shah - Founder and CEO, Mosquitoes Be Gone
- Jillian T. Weiss - Executive Director, Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund
- Kathryn Wylde - President and CEO, Partnership for New York City
- Melanie Whelan - CEO, SoulCycle
- Teresa C. Younger - President and CEO, Ms. Foundation
Education: Increasing educational opportunities and outcomes for women and girls in New York.
Economic Opportunity: Working to help bring New York women and girls out of poverty and provide opportunities for success.
Workforce Equity: Advancing women’s equality in the workplace through equitable policies and increasing women’s entrepreneurship.
Leadership: Increasing women’s representation in top leadership positions in the public, private, and non-profit sectors.
Health Care: Ensuring equitable, affordable health care and securing reproductive justice.
Child Care: Ensuring access to safe affordable care
Safety: Fighting and preventing violence against women and girls in all forms that it takes.
STEM: Leading the way for women and girls to study and enter the STEM fields.
Intersectionality: Advancing a women and girls agenda that takes into account the intersectional experiences of women—including race, color, religion, age, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
New Sub-Committee Formed for the Advancement of Women in Leadership in Financial Services Industry October 16, 2019
Governor Cuomo Unveils the 2019 Women's Justice Agenda February 19, 2019
Governor Cuomo Signs Legislation Protecting Women's Reproductive Rights January 22, 2019
On Latina Equal Pay Day, Council on Women and Girls Hosts Panel on Pay Gap Afflicting Latina Women November 1, 2018
Finalized Materials and Guidance Released on New York's Sexual Harassment Prevention Laws October 1, 2018
Council on Women and Girls Hosts Forum with Women Leaders in Buffalo on Pay Gap Afflicting Black Women September 28, 2018
Building on Efforts to Target Maternal Mortality and Reduce Racial Disparities in Health Outcomes September 26, 2018
New Actions to Ensure Diverse, Inclusive, and Safe Workplaces August 23, 2018
Actions to Advance Equality in New York August 15, 2018
On Black Women's Equal Pay Day, Council on Women and Girls and Essence Magazine Co-Host Forum August 7, 2018
New Multi-Agency Efforts to Combat Maternal Depression May 17, 2018
"If You Can See It You Can Be It" - A Day for Girls to Experience a Broad Range of Career Possibilities April 26, 2018
Comprehensive Initiative to Target Maternal Mortality and Reduce Racial Disparities in Outcomes April 23, 2018
Nation's Largest Investment in Computer Science Education April 9, 2018
Legislation passes to Ensure Equal Access to Diaper Changing Stations April 5, 2018
Actions to Improve Access to IVF and Fertility Preservation Services March 1, 2018
2018 Women's Agenda for New York: Equal Rights, Equal Opportunity January 11, 2018
Op-Ed by Melissa Derosa: Why States Need to Step Up Now to Protect Women & Girls August 2, 2017
Governor Cuomo Launches First-Ever New York State Council on Women and Girls August 2, 2017