Mom-mentum Advocacy eNews
Tuesday, March 3, 2015


 

I put this email together after a death in the family, with out of town relatives coming to stay, trips to the airport in a sleet storm, children still needing to be picked up and dropped at school, work deadlines being met, meals being created and cleaned up after, bills getting paid -- the usual untidy chaos and stress party known as "family life". Putting it together allowed me to escape the stress and drama. In spite of everything, looking at it now I think it is really good. I hope it gives you joy.

Best wishes,

Valerie Young
Your (Wo)man in Washington
Article1
DC DISPATCH - WOMEN BETTER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS

But no need to take my word for it, the facts speak for themselves. The women in the US Senate and House of Representatives introduce more legislation, co-sponsor more bills, and get more bills enacted into law than the men in the Capitol. Even better, they are more likely to get along with members of the other party and work in a bi-partisan, collaborative fashion. In spite of their near total monopoly on political leadership, it turns out white men are not especially good at it. Also, women are more ethical, more honest, and less likely to take unreasonable risks (like the one that started the subprime mortgage crisis, leading to the Great Recession). 

 

Article2
MOM'S LIFE DURING PREGNANCY IMPACTS BABY

A mother's stress level can have a long-lasting affect on the life of her child. Prenatal harassment or discrimination can lead to low birth weight babies. Low birth weight is commonly linked to lower academic achievement, which will influence a child's life in may ways. Evidence shows that investing in children early has a bigger payoff than waiting until school age or later, according to
Born equal? Prenatal care and social mobility by the Brookings Institution.  Which leads to our next item....
Article3
PREGNANT AT WORK? STILL A PROBLEM!

When a woman believes her pregnancy is the reason she was fired or forced to take leave, she files a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In spite of the fact that women are half the workforce and most women are pregnant at least once by age 40, bosses still don't know that it is illegal to treat a pregnant woman differently. Between 1997 and 2011, this form of discrimination claim increased by 46%, according to EEOC data. It's a complicated issue. The US Supreme Court may clarify the issue in the next few months. A recent article from BizWomen gets into the nitty gritty.
Article4
STUCK

Consider two facts. First, mothers continue to do more family care and housework than fathers, even when both parents work. Second, mothers are much less likely to have any paid time off, even though they are the ones who need it most. See the problem? It's especially bad for the part-time workforce, according to Brigid Schulte of the Washington Post.
 
"Nearly twice as many women as men work part time, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics -- 9.8 million men in 2014 to 17.7 million women. And the vast majority of women, about 13 million, work part time for "non economic reasons," -- which typically means juggling child care, elder care and other home front duties." 
 
Part-timers have the least access to paid time off of all. #policyfail.

 

Article5

 

Those clever girls at the Make It Work campaign just released a very clever and very relatable video that will resonate with you deeply.  Four minutes of wonderfulness, I swear. #HowWeDoIt
DonateNow
Your Gift Makes a Difference for Families
Mom-mentum has helped thousands of families:
  • Get needed support
  • Advocate for our children's needs
  • Discover valuable resources
  • Find creative ways to manage work and family responsibilities
  • And so much more!
Please consider making a tax-deductable donation to Mom-mentum today OR read about the many benefits of membership and join now! Thank you for making a difference!

 




Mom-mentum
Engages mothers personally, 
enriches them professionally, and empowers
them through Public Policy

516.939.MOMS
www.Mom-mentum.org
www.Mom-mentum.org/blog