Maternal Profiling was recently reported on as one of the new buzzwords of 2007 in the New York Times (and members of MomsRising were credited with introducing this term into our national consciousness!). They defined it as:
"Employment discrimination against a woman who has, or will have, children. The term has been popularized by members of MomsRising, an advocacy group promoting the rights of mothers in the workplace."
SPREAD THE WORD: Join us in our New Year's resolution to help stamp out Maternal Profiling. Share this term with friends and family by forwarding this email (or by using our easy online tell-a-friend system @ http://salsa.democracyinaction
*Click here to read more about Maternal Profiling, including how it impacts you & comment on our blog: http://www.momsrising.org/node
This new phrase is powerful because it brings forward a shared experience--helping to frame national understanding of the causes of and solutions to discrimination against mothers. Sexual harassment is a phrase which helped spark major legislative and cultural changes. Widespread use of the phrase "Maternal Profiling" can similarly help spark major changes.
And major changes are needed. One recent study found that mothers are 79% less likely to be hired than non-mothers with equal resumes and job experiences. Mothers also face discrimination in their paychecks: Women without children make 90 cents to a man's dollar, but mothers make only 73 cents to a man's dollar, and single mothers make about 60 cents to a man's dollar. Working together, we can stamp out Maternal Profiling and make our nation more truly family-friendly.
NEED AN EXCITING CONVERSATION STARTER? Use this Pop Quiz as a conversation starter, and as an easy way to share the term with friends (You can test friends over coffee, see if friends can make their own wacky definitions, and try it out on relatives). The more people who understand and use the word, the faster we'll be able to stop the practice. Let's get rid of it!
Have a very Happy New Year!
- Mary, Cooper, Kristin, Joan, Nanette, Donna, Anita, Katie
-------So what is Maternal Profiling really? And is it happening to you and your friends?------
Sadly, the answer to the second question is, yes, if you're a mother in America, then Maternal Profiling has likely happened to you. Maternal Profiling is a significant and shared problem which negatively impacts vast numbers of women in our nation, particularly since a full 82% of American women become mothers by the time they are forty-four years old. And, the workplace impacts of Maternal Profiling are jaw dropping, especially given that three-quarters of American mothers are now in the labor force.
In fact, the American Journal of Sociology recently reported a study which found that mothers are 79% less likely to be hired than non-mothers with equal resumes and job experiences. (Sadly, that wasn't a typo. The study really found that mothers are 79% less likely to be hired.)
Mothers also face steep wage hits and unequal wages for equal work. One study found that, with the exact same resume and qualifications, mothers are offered an average of $11,000 LESS than non-mothers for the same upper-level positions. Another study found that women without children make 90 cents to a man's dollar, but mothers make only 73 cents to a man's dollar, and single mothers make about 60 cents to a man's dollar.
Fortunately, we know how to narrow these wage gaps and how to stop Maternal Profiling. Countries with family-friendly policies in place--such as paid family leave after the birth of a child and subsidized childcare--don't have the same degree of maternal wage hits as we do here. That's one of the reasons why MomsRising is fighting for family-friendly policies, as well as for laws that protect mothers and other caregivers from discrimination in the workplace. Cultural change is another way to help stop Maternal Profiling: The more people who become aware of what are often subconscious discriminatory actions, the less often those discriminatory actions will happen. So it's important that as many people as possible learn about the widespread practice of Maternal Profiling.
*Take a moment to help spread the word (literally!) to friends and family by forwarding them our Pop Quiz.
P.S. Don't forget to get more details about Maternal Profiling and share your experiences at the end of that blog by clicking here: http://www.momsrising.org/node
P.P.S. Read the recent New York Times article which includes Maternal Profiling and MomsRising here: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Maternal Profiling Info Thanks To MomsRising
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