Courtesy Office of Jessica González-Rojas
By MOHAMED FARGHALY
mfarghaly@queensledger.com
New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie at the beginning of the year announced leadership appointments for the 2025 legislative session, including the appointment of Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas as the new chair of the Assembly’s Task Force on Women’s Issues. The task force, which includes nearly half of the state’s female Assembly members, will focus on advancing policies to protect and empower women and families across New York.
The task force marks a new chapter in González-Rojas’ long-standing advocacy for gender justice. She previously spent over a decade leading the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing the health and dignity of Latina communities. Her work there focused on reproductive rights and social justice issues, skills she is now channeling into her role as a legislator.
“I’m so super honored and excited, it’s a continuation of my long, decade long work in gender justice and reproductive justice and fighting for women and families,” González-Rojas said.
The task force, which boasts the largest number of female legislators in New York State history, will convene soon to begin crafting priorities for the 2025 legislative session. González-Rojas plans to hold regular meetings to establish a bold legislative agenda focused on gender justice.
“We are really looking forward to starting the year off with a bold agenda, especially that we’re up against a fascist, sexist, racist, xenophobic President of the United States,” González-Rojas said.
González-Rojas’ legislative track record is already significant. She has successfully introduced and passed laws aimed at improving health care for women, including Lian’s Law, which addresses preeclampsia awareness, and a measure to improve mental health screenings for women of color. As a parent, she has been instrumental in pushing for universal school meals for all students in New York.
“It’s very important to me because part of my values is that every child should have access to a healthy breakfast and healthy lunch in school, without stigma or any barriers,” she said.
Despite her advocacy for city-specific issues, González-Rojas’ position as chair of the task force extends beyond New York City. She’s tasked with addressing issues that affect women and families statewide, including those in rural and upstate regions, which face distinct challenges.
“There are certainly discrepancies across the state,” she said. “For example, while New York City has already implemented free school meals for all, there are many parts of the state that haven’t.”
Among the top priorities González-Rojas plans to tackle during her tenure are universal child care and expanding reproductive rights protections. The Assembly member believes that while New York has strong protections for reproductive health, including access to abortion services, more can be done.
“We’re continuing to look at a suite of bills that protect reproductive justice in New York and protect and expand, I would argue, we want to continue to make sure New York is a safe haven, but also we want to include gender affirming care in those lists of protections, because it’s part and parcel of reproductive justice, and we want to be again, very inclusive,” she said.
Additionally, González-Rojas has introduced legislation that would protect reproductive health data for individuals using apps to track their health. She is also continuing to advocate for measures to protect reproductive health care providers.
Reflecting on her experience leading the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, González-Rojas believes her leadership background gives her a unique perspective in the Assembly
“We’ve seen how vulnerable communities, especially women, trans people, and immigrants, are under attack at the federal level, and I’m committed to pushing back against that.”
Though González-Rojas is optimistic about the future, she knows that enacting meaningful change is not without its challenges. The legislative process can be slow, and there are many competing priorities.
She also highlighted the intersectionality of women’s issues, pointing out that challenges like labor rights and workforce development are crucial to advancing gender equity. One area of focus is addressing wage disparities for women in industries like food service, where workers often rely on tips to make up for subminimum wages.
“I’m also carrying a bill called One Fair Wage, which would eliminate the subminimum wage for restaurant workers,” González-Rojas said. “The thing that I like to underscore is that industry is very feminized. Many tip workers are women and women of color, and those most disproportionately impacted are women and women of color.”
González-Rojas also emphasized the importance of including transgender women in conversations about women’s issues.
“It’s crucial that we ensure protections for both cisgender and transgender women,” she said.
She pointed out that trans women are often excluded from discussions on gender justice, and she is committed to being inclusive, particularly when it comes to protecting their rights within reproductive justice and beyond.
In her vision for women’s rights in New York, González-Rojas hopes to ensure that every individual, regardless of their race, gender, or immigration status, can have the autonomy to create and raise a family with dignity and justice.
“I think the ultimate goal is to ensure that every person, despite you know, race, gender, gender identity or immigration status, that they have the ability to determine if, when and how to create a family, and then be able to raise that family with dignity,” she said. “So, it’s about autonomy, it’s about dignity, it’s about justice, and that’s been my core values. And again, I’m thrilled to leverage this position to fight for that vision.”
As chair of the Task Force on Women’s Issues, González-Rojas is poised to continue her advocacy on a larger scale, fighting for gender justice and reproductive rights across New York State.
