State after state is passing legislation for paid family & medical leave policies that guarantee families of every income paid time off. In Washington, a new bill drafted from scratch and nearly a decade in the making will provide 12 weeks of paid leave to its residents, and low-wage earners will receive 90% of their weekly income.
Wall Street banks, traditionally aligned with patriarchal roles defined by male Breadwinners and female caretakers are drafting policies that embrace modern families. Eliminating the need to distinguish primary and secondary caregivers and making policy inclusive of all those who need and want to take time off, no matter their gender.
At a time when working mothers are amplifying their voices and demanding better policies, working dads are joining the chorus and fighting to secure paid family leave for all. Alexis Ohanian, along with Dove Men Care, took their cohort of dad advocates to Capitol Hill for Dad’s Day of Action, where they demanded that lawmakers draft paid parental leave for all. This issue, one that would improve the lives of all Americans, is not only urgent but bipartisan. We are finding both Republicans and Democrats coming to the table to discuss the future of the paid family and medical leave in this country.
We’ve come a long way since the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. And while we’re making progress daily, there is still so much left to do. 25% of mothers (mostly low-wage earners) are back to work in ten days after giving birth. We’re witnessing a maternal health crisis where African-American women are three to four times more likely to die on delivery tables and during the postpartum period due to systemic sexism and racism. And let’s not forget that only 14% of Americans have access to any paid leave at all through their employer. Childcare costs continue to rise at staggering rates. On the whole, caregiving is undervalued in our culture and often times gendered and stigmatized.
Working mothers, especially, feel the intense and overwhelming pressure to be both the perfect employee and parent. Advances in technology have increased the flexibility of workflow, yet we continue to see employees penalized for utilizing family-friendly policies. Mostly, we see working parents expected to be available around the clock and weekends when they should otherwise be spending time with family.
For progress to continue into 2020 and beyond, we must shift the narrative and elevate conversations that will bring broader awareness to the challenges facing working parents. To that end, working mothers are initiating dialogues that will effect lasting change in America.
In October, I was invited to speak at Mother: The Summit where Blessing Adesiyan, Founder of Mother Honestly and creator of the summit, gathered over 400 working mothers in Detroit to inspire, connect, educate, and solve the issues facing this ever-growing legion of self-advocates.
As we look forward to 2020, the future of work and parenting has never been brighter. We’ve seen companies like Microsoft applaud the 4-day work week, and Fortune 500 companies offering fully-paid parental leave to working parents. We hope to see more of this in the coming decade to ease the burden of parenting in America.