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Mom-mentum Advocacy eNews
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Greetings!
Did you see the US win the Women's World Cup on Sunday night? What a brilliant display of athleticism, teamwork, and ....motherhood! Can't figure out the connection? Well, read on, my friend, and you will find out. Best wishes, Valerie Young Your (Wo)man in Washington |
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 DC DISPATCH - BOTH THE BEST, AND THE MOST DANGEROUS
DC is a standout for women's leadership. Both our Police Chief and our Mayor are women. The pay gap is smallest here, and because the federal government is such a major employer, wage transparency is far greater than most any other US locale. Biz-women also points out that, on the other hand... the pay gap is still 12%. But, consider that there are more women-owned businesses in DC than the rest of the country. On the other hand...that indicates that women were closed out of advancing or didn't find the support they needed at their prior places of employment, and became their own bosses as a result. But, the news that keeps me up at night, the fact that foretells disaster looms for us all, the most CONCERNING factoid, is this: "65 percent of working mothers between the ages of 25 and 64 with bachelor's degrees from prominent universities, and MBAs from any institution, are out of the workforce." If the most educated women in this country cannot raise their children and advance their careers, the US will slide in terms of global competitiveness, economic strength, and family security. Women with children have a greater impact on our collective future than any other group. They provide more care to children and others, and earn more degrees than men. If the better educated gender is hobbled by our attitudes towards care in pursuing their professional and economic potential, every single person in this country will feel the consequences. Will we act in time to avoid this disaster? |
AND IN THIS WEEK'S BREASTFEEDING NEWS....
Virginia has expanded its breastfeeding law beyond government-owned property to all public places. Effective July 1, it makes the Commonwealth the 48th state to pass such a bill. In South Dakota, mothers can now legally breastfeed in all public and private places, as a result of state legislative action. Other restrictions may still apply. According to The Republic, "Nursing mothers must still obey state and municipal laws, mostly aimed at public decency. However, no municipality may outright ban breastfeeding in public places." West Virginia and Idaho are the only two states with no public protection on the books.
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US NAVY GETS ON BOARD WITH MATERNITY LEAVE
 US Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus tripled maternity leave from 6 to 18 weeks for women in the Navy and Marine Corps. "In the Navy and the Marine Corps, we are continually looking for ways to recruit and retain the best people," Mabus said. "We have incredibly talented women who want to serve, and they also want to be mothers and have the time to fulfill that important role the right way. We can do that for them. Meaningful maternity leave when it matters most is one of the best ways that we can support the women who serve our county. This flexibility is an investment in our people and our Services, and a safeguard against losing skilled service members." Yes, sir!
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 Mothers are natural leaders because we know what it means to overcome obstacles on a daily basis. It's been my humble opinion for some time that mothers are ace managers because most of us have huge experience in conflict resolution, satisfying multiple demands with limited resources, and anticipating problems (or meltdowns or hunger, fatigue, and not having the RIGHT toy). We can also track more than one thing at a time, while keeping people alive. The author of this blog clearly agrees with me! Read Why You NEED To Hire Moms. I don't want to add to the pressure, or create unrealistic expectations. But we truly are pretty amazing. Don't you think??
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 I'm tipping my hat to Christie Rampone, Amy Rodriguez and Shannon Boxx this week, members of the US Women's Soccer team with children. From The Guardian: "Soccer's most cherished trophy comes at a price many women would never want to pay. The pursuit of a World Cup requires the three mothers on the US team to leave their children with husbands and parents, seeing them but for an hour each day before sequestering away in a secure hotel far from scraped knees and cries in the night." Won't it be a great day when mothers are so engaged in every single public and private forum that the fact of one's motherhood is no longer newsworthy?
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