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It's the first advocacy enews of 2015. Truth be told, we loved the holidays, but we are a bit relieved that they are winding down and a return to a more normal routine is at hand. You'll have no problem keeping your resolution to educate yourself about motherhood and public policy - make sure you are getting this enews twice a month, and follow Your (Wo)Man in Washington on the Mom-mentum blog, on Facebook and Twitter. You're on social media anyway - might as well use it to make you a more informed voter and family caregiver. As a mom, you know what we need, and together we can make it happen. |
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Happy New Year,
Mom-mentum (formerly National Association of Mothers' Centers
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provides programs that empower mothers, fathers and caregivers to find solutions that work for their families, their work lives and their personal lives.
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The US Secretary of Labor, Tom Perez, takes to the morning cable news show to promote paid family leave. New moms in Germany can have 14 weeks of paid time off after birth. The US?? It all depends on where you work and for whom. Maybe you'll be "lucky". Maybe not. Either way, not much you can do about it. Except of course call your state and federal legislators and say "I'm a constituent, and I believe moms and dads deserve paid time off after birth or adoption - so please pass a paid family leave bill, already!" |
Was It Another Do-Nothing Congress?
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What exactly did the last Congress DO? Not very much, and perhaps not what was needed or wanted by voters. The Women's Policy Institute put together a summary of the 113th Congressional Session. At least they managed to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, and moved the National Women's History Museum project along a bit. Sigh...
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| New Grads' Earnings at 1989 Levels |
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So, here we are, well into the 21st century, and into the brand new year of 2015. If we're not at a point of gender equality yet, we must be pretty close, right? If you think so, take a look below - earnings at first jobs are back down to 1989 levels, and women continue to trail men in wages. Still.
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The Economic Engine of Early Education
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What single change could we make that would raise parents' income, and improve the health, educational performance, and employability of participants while decreasing anti-poverty spending and reducing crime? Why, investing in better child care and early education programs, of course! Estimates are a return of $8.60 for every $1 invested. Find out the whole story in a wonderful report from The White House, The Economics of Early Childhood Investment.
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Pregnant? Know Your Rights at Work
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From the Harvard Business Review article by Joan C. Williams and Liz Morris, "Pregnant Workers Have Rights, No Matter What the Supreme Court Says About UPS":
The recent expansion of the law requires employers to treat impairments caused by pregnancy, even temporary ones, the same as impairments caused by other conditions. Although pregnancy alone is not a disability under the ADA, any time it results in a condition that substantially limits a major life activity (like walking, standing, bending, lifting, sitting, etc.), or limits a bodily function (like functions of the immune system, the circulatory system, the reproductive system, and others), the ADA is triggered, and employers are legally mandated to provide reasonable accommodations to women who need them to work.
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