De Blasio Names First Ever Director Of Commission On Gender Equality
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday named Azadeh Khalili as the first ever executive director of the Commission on Gender Equality.
The commission was created through an executive order by the mayor last July. It will work across city agencies to help reduce gender-based inequity and make the city more inclusive and economically mobile for women and girls.
Khalili will be responsible of leveraging the power of city government to expand and increase opportunity for all New York City residents, regardless of sex, gender and sexual orientation.
"Azi has connected countless New Yorkers to City services and spent decades in the field of human rights," the mayor said in a news release. "Her passion and commitment to NYC will serve us well as we work to create a city that is fair, safe and full of opportunity for all – regardless of sex, gender or sexual orientation."
Khalili is experienced in government, philanthropy and the nonprofit sector, and has worked for more than 20 years on behalf of marginalized communities – including fighting for human rights, sexual and reproductive rights, and the rights of low-wage workers, the Mayor's office said.
Since 2014, she has served as the city's Executive Director of Language Access Initiatives in the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs.
