A mother holds her child in her apartment in Redding on Sept. 20, 2022. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local
By Indira D'Souza, Cal Matters, March 15, 2023
Addressing racial and economic inequality in California requires policies that improve the material circumstances of those groups in our society who face the greatest hardship. One such group is women of color, and one such policy would be the introduction of universal health care coverage.
The experiences of women of color are highly racialized and tied to the institutional legacies of American slavery, Jim Crow and discriminatory social policies that limit their access to benefits and incarcerate them at higher rates.
Women of color are also subject to disparities when it comes to health care. For example, infant mortality rates are highest for African-American women across all education levels. As annual pregnancy-related deaths increase across the U.S., it is low-income, minority women who face the highest maternal mortality rates.
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