What Women Need This Mother’s Day
A Mother’s Day List Of Policy Priorities For Women and Families
Every mother values the personal touch of a
hand-written card or a bouquet of flowers for Mother’s Day that reminds them
they are appreciated. (We at the Progress Report wouldn’t dream of committing
this dangerous oversight.) But from economic security to health and reproductive
rights to expanding opportunities for leadership and career advancement,
millions of women and their families are at a disadvantage. With that in mind,
here is a list of some essential policies to show the moms out there we
appreciate them not just on Mother’s Day, but all year round. It’s time women
and families have a fair shot at getting ahead, not just getting by.
1. Raise The Federal Minimum Wage To
$10.10 Per Hour.
Women make up approximately two-thirds of all minimum wage workers. Raising the
wage from $7.25 to $10.10 would put over $4,000 in the pockets of a full-time
minimum wage worker, and it would boost wages for about 4.7 million
mothers. What’s more, families benefit from a wage increase: sixty
percent of women are the primary or co-bread winners in their
households. More money in their paychecks means more for their families.
2. Ensure Equal Pay For Equal
Work.
Women are consistently paid less than their male counterparts
and make up a disproportionate share of low-wage workers. Raising the minimum
wage is certainly a step in helping hardworking women support their families.
Enacting stronger equal pay protections is another — it will hold employers more
accountable for their practices, ensure vigorous enforcement, and empower women
to uncover discrimination and negotiate for salaries they deserve. Last month,
President Obama took
executive action to combat discriminatory pay practices among federal
contractors. But unfortunately, most Republicans in Congress continue to oppose
a similar measure for workers nationwide and in some cases hold extremely
backward or insensitive views on the issue.
3. Expand Access To Paid Sick And
Family Leave.
Times have changed since the Mad Men era, but
our workplace policies have failed to keep up. Too many women face an impossible
choice between fulfilling their family or work responsibilities. Today, less
than one in three children have a stay-at-home parent compared to about 55
percent a century ago, but only 11
percent of workers have access to paid family leave through their
employer.. Paid family leave legislation would provide workers up to 12 weeks of
paid leave to care for a new child or seriously ill family member, or to recover
from their own serious illness. Nearly two-thirds
of voters support this plan.
4. Expand Access To Affordable,
High-Quality Pre-School.
The lack of quality, affordable pre-school or
child care options has an enormous economic impact on families. In fact, only 69
percent of 4-year-olds in America are enrolled in early childhood education,
which leaves the U.S. ranked
28th among developed countries. Expanding access to high-quality
preschool and child care fulfills the dual purposes of enabling mothers (and
fathers) to find and maintain jobs and helping children prepare for and achieve
the best outcomes in school. For every dollar invested in early childhood
education, program participants and society as a whole receive $7 in
benefits.
5. Ensure Reproductive Rights For All
Women.
The Affordable Care Act has already represented
a major
victory for millions of women, including by prohibiting insurers from
charging women more than men, and requiring insurers to cover maternity care, birth
control, and preventative services like mammograms. But when it comes
to reproductive health, mothers–and women who deserve the freedom to choose if
or when they become mothers–are seeing their rights taken away. Over the past
three years, states have enacted 205 abortion restrictions — more than
during the entire previous decade. And this is in spite of the fact
that the national abortion rate is at an historic low, not because of these laws, but
more likely because more women have access to birth control.
BOTTOM LINE: It’s time we
support policies that make women and their families more secure. Our country
would be better off if we give women the same opportunities men have to get
ahead in their jobs, get access to education, and have control over their health
decisions. That is would be a truly special — and very popular — Mother’s Day
gift.
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