MomsRising: Working Moms Band Together

Posted by Charlene Prince Birkeland

I recently mentioned MomsRising.org in a post about working moms choosing between better pay and job flexibility. The organization was featured in today's The New York Times in the article, "Mom's Mad. And She's Organized." It's a story every mom should read and a group that every working mom should join. Why? Because MomsRising is doing amazing things to help working moms get what we deserve in the workplace -- equal pay, flexible schedules, adequate maternity leave, and universal healthcare. And that's just for starters.

While MomsRising dubs itself a mother's advocacy group, its strongest movements target issues that affect working moms: open, flexible work; maternity and paternity leave, and compensation. The NYT story profiled several members in the San Francisco Bay Area and demonstrates why MomsRising is a force to be reckoned with.

Members across the country are hosting MomsRising House Parties -- small gatherings, usually of working moms, where they show the organization's documentary, The Motherhood Manifesto. It follows workplace challenges that moms continue to face. After the movie screening, attendees discuss key issues affecting moms, such as "maternal profiling," which the NYT story cites as a major hotbutton for discussion at these house parties.

The moms also talk about how to take action. And this is where MomsRising is most powerful -- the group inspires and empowers women to make change happen. In our lifetime.

One mom interviewed in the article said MomsRising is "addressing true family values as opposed to ideology; real policies that would help moms and dads get to work, pay the bills and have a family life.” I love that this gal mentioned that the organization is helping dads too. Working moms definitely have more hurdles to jump in the workplace, but so do their husbands. My husband didn't have paternity leave for when our first son was born...but nearly for years later for our second son's birth, he did. I'm all for organizations that support the efforts of working moms, but I really dig that MomsRising addresses these topics as ones that impact the entire family, not just the mom.

I think we're just getting our first peek at what happens when working moms band together to create change. Here's your chance to take an active role. Take a moment to read the NYT article on MomsRising. Check out their website. Read the Motherhood Manifesto. Host a House Party. Sign a petition.

Just get involved.

Comments

[Sandy]

I love their organization! I just received the moms rising T-shirt I just bought through their goodstorm.com store, http://www.goodstorm.com/stores/momsrising. If you want to support this oorganization, buy one too!