Toward an Inclusive Recovery: Understanding and Empowering Women's Economic Participation - Fed Communities Subscribe Topics Employment Benefits Cliff Child Care Investing in America’s Workforce Worker Perspectives Economic Development Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Digital Access Rural Development Housing Small Business Entrepreneurship Small Business Credit Survey Stories Benefits Cliff Stories CRA: Building Stronger Communities Rural America: A Treasure of Assets Partner stories Investment Connection: Getting to ‘We Have a Deal’ Small Lenders, Small Businesses, and the Paycheck Protection Program Opportunity Occupations: Joining the Workforce Data Banking Deserts Dashboard CDFI Survey Community Perspectives Survey Community Development Data & Tools Explorer Perspectives from Main Street Worker Perspectives Events Calendar Connecting Communities® Webinars On-demand 2026 Research Seminar Series Uneven Outcomes Conference Experts About Us Our Leadership Latest News and Views Subscribe Contact Us Search Toward an Inclusive Recovery Understanding and Empowering Women’s Economic Participation A Federal Reserve Community Development Research Seminar presented by the Federal Reserve Banks of Dallas and Kansas City Speakers Presentation slides This seminar streamed live on October 21, 2021, exploring issues related to women’s economic declines during the pandemic and the ability of women to participate equally in existing markets, post-recession. WATCH ON DEMAND Toward an Inclusive Recovery Understanding and Empowering Women’s Economic Participation, October 21, 2021 (video, 2:11:07). The COVID-19 pandemic and its economic ramification has disproportionally impacted women. This so-called “she-cession” is throwing away decades of hard-won battles both in terms of gender equality and women’s economic gains. Women, particularly women of color, are more likely to work in the sectors hit hardest by economic closures, including healthcare, retail, and the informal economy. Women are more impacted by the burdens of caregiving—including caring for children and elderly parents who are now at home rather than at school or living on their own. Additionally, women entrepreneurs are also often less likely than men to have access to the loans and other financial services that help businesses weather a downturn.   Even before the pandemic, the World Economic Forum estimated that it would take 250 years to close the economic gender gap. How can we ensure economic recovery efforts include and support women? More broadly, how do we create a more equitable economic environment that offers the tools, resources and opportunities women need to thrive?  This seminar, presented by the Federal Reserve Banks of Dallas and Kansas City, will discuss how we can ensure economic recovery efforts include and support women and how we create a more equitable economic environment that offers the tools, resources, and opportunities women need to thrive. It will examine these important questions related to women’s economic declines during the pandemic and their ability to participate equally in the post-recession labor market. The first panel will provide a framing of the issue, including what makes the she-cession so different from previous recessions. The second will explore ideas on how to rebuild a more inclusive economy for working women. Featured speakers Esther George f. President & CEO Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Alfreda Norman f. Senior Vice President Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Tammy Edwards f. Senior Vice President Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Matuschka Lindo Briggs Moderator Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Panel speakers Matthias Doepke Northwestern University Michelle Holder John Jay College; Washington Center for Equitable Growth   Betsey Stevenson University of Michigan C. Nicole Mason Moderator Institute for Women’s Policy Research  Elizabeth Cascio Dartmouth College Patricia Cortés Boston University  Kathryn Edwards RAND Corporation  Lauren Bauer Moderator Brookings Institution Agenda 11:00-11:05 am ET Welcome and Panel 1 opening remarks Matuschka Lindo Briggs, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Alfreda Norman, Senior Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas 11:05-11:55 am ET Panel 1: How the “she-cession” came to be Matthias Doepke, Northwestern University  Michelle Holder, Washington Center for Equitable Growth; John Jay College Betsey Stevenson, University of Michigan  Moderator: C. Nicole Mason, Institute for Women’s Policy Research  11:55 am-12:05 pm ET Break 12:05-1:00 pm ET Panel 2: How to create an inclusive recovery for mothers Opening remarks: Tammy Edwards, Senior Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Elizabeth Cascio, Dartmouth College  Patricia Cortés, Boston University  Kathryn Edwards, RAND Corporation  Moderator: Lauren Bauer, Brookings Institution 1:00-1:10 pm ET Closing remarks Esther George, President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City 1:10-1:15 pm ET Send off Matuschka Lindo Briggs, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis About the seminar series This seminar is part of the Federal Reserve Community Development Research Seminar Series, a forum for exploring the intersection of research, policy, and practice in the community development field. The Series expands access to high-quality research that informs stakeholders who are working to support low- and moderate-income communities and communities of color. 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