👋 Welcome to Starting Early. Every other week, we spotlight new reports, useful news, engaging interviews with people doing important work, and interesting takes on maternal health and early childhood development issues.
Women in the US face major economic, political, and social barriers — from wage inequity to corporate glass ceilings. One important remedy: Increase the number of women in decision-making governmental positions. From local school boards to Congress, women need greater say in shaping policies that support the health and wellbeing of everyone – especially children, women, and families.
Of course, race, socioeconomics, immigration status, political affiliation, and other factors influence decision making. But with more women leaders, public policies and institutions would more accurately reflect the diverse perspectives and lived experiences of the US.
Read on and click the links to go deeper.
1 big thing: Women leaders drive change
Having more woman leaders in business and politics is associated with educational, economic, and social improvements.
- What they’re saying: “Enhancing women’s representation across multiple sectors contributes to wealthier and, hence, healthier societies for all,” says Cat Pinho-Gomes, lead author and research fellow at the George Institute for Global Health and Imperial College London.
Effective leadership: Research shows that US congresswomen are more likely than their male counterparts to legislate on social welfare issues. They also bring more federal funds to their home districts and are more likely than men to work across the aisle to sponsor legislation.
- Political wins: Women legislators were critical to the passage, implementation, and defense of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which included improvements to women’s healthcare quality and coverage. At the time of the Act’s passage, there were a record number of women in Congress.
Yes, but: Women – especially women of color – hold local, state, and federal government positions at levels below their share of the population.
- By the numbers: Women made up 28% of Congress, 31% of state legislators, and 25% of city officeholders in June 2022 – though they account for half of US residents.
- Lagging behind the world: An analysis of women political leaders across the world ranks the US #46 on the share of women cabinet heads and #66 on the percentage of women in legislative bodies, as of January 2023.
Major structural, social, and economic barriers make it hard for women to hold office, including:
- Politics is expensive: Women candidates raise and spend less money and are more likely to rely on small campaign donations. They often don’t have access to networks of high donors and aren’t supported as strongly by their parties. Given that women on average are paid less than men, they also have less personal wealth to invest in campaigns.
- And it’s time consuming too: Women spend almost 3 times as much time on child care and housework than men. Without paid leave or affordable child care options, it’s harder for women to maintain the grueling schedule of running for and holding office.
The bottom line: A seat at the table would help women advocate for family-friendly policies that benefit everyone.
2. Honoring a political trailblazer: Patricia Schroeder
Patricia Schroeder, who died March 13, was many things: a pilot, lawyer, feminist icon, and US House member.
Breaking barriers: The first woman from Colorado elected to the House of Representatives, Rep. Schroeder held office from 1973 to 1997 and was one of only 14 women in the House at the time of her election. She helped pass such groundbreaking legislation as the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, Violence Against Women Act, and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) – which enables eligible employees to take unpaid time off for family and medical concerns without fear of losing their job.
An ongoing battle: FMLA became law in 1993 after 2 presidential vetoes and sustained advocacy by Congresswoman Schroeder. The law was a game changer for women forced to choose between work and caring for loved ones. But what was enacted fell short of what she proposed. Rep. Schroeder reflected, “It is still so watered down. I’m almost embarrassed to say that’s my bill. […] I do not think there is a capital in the world that talks more about family values and does less.”
Without a national paid leave policy, US families rely on a patchwork of local, state, and employer policies that primarily benefit white, high-income people.
- Research shows paid family leave contributes to increased family financial stability, lower infant mortality rates, and lower levels of postpartum depression.
- Workers able to use paid leave are less likely to quit their jobs and more likely to return to work for the same employer.
Go deeper: Read Starting Early’s issue on paid family leave in the US.
3 questions for political advocate Liuba Grechen Shirley
We spoke with Liuba Grechen Shirley, founder and CEO of Vote Mama PAC, Vote Mama Foundation, and the Vote Mama Lobby, which work to build the political power of moms and break down barriers that hold them back. During her own congressional campaign in 2018, Liuba successfully petitioned the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to use campaign funds for child care. Her quest received bipartisan support from members of Congress and former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. Here are highlights from our conversation:
Why were you the first woman to petition the FEC to use campaign funds for child care and what pushed you to do so?
The reality is women were probably afraid to. I was afraid to. I was told it was political suicide and that I’d be attacked for being a woman and attacked for being a mother. If I took my children with me someplace during my congressional campaign, people would say, “I’ve never seen anybody use their children as political props as much as she does.” My kids were 1 and 3.
And I took them with me for a number of reasons. One, for the first 6 months of my campaign, I didn’t have child care until 3:30 p.m., when my mom, who was a teacher, would arrive home. Two, I was nursing both my kids throughout my entire campaign. Three, I missed them and I wanted to have them with me as much as possible. But it wasn’t a sustainable schedule. You need to run 18 hours a day if you want to win a congressional campaign. It’s nonstop, and it’s not something you can do without child care.
Why do you feel calling policies like child care “women’s issues” is detrimental?
People don’t take them as seriously if they’re seen as women’s issues. When I talked about child care or paid family leave during my campaign, someone would say, “You should ignore the women’s issues and stick to the bread-and-butter issues.” And it would infuriate me because economic issues are women’s issues and women’s issues are economic issues. The US loses $112 billion a year because of the lack of child care and American families lose over $22.5 billion in wages because of the lack of paid family leave. These are the most basic bread-and-butter issues our country faces.
Why is it important to have mothers run for office?
We need people who have lived experiences because legislators legislate on what they know. So, if you have a number of white, older, wealthy men in office, you get the policies that we currently have.
In the 4 years since I launched Vote Mama, we’ve supported over 400 moms running for office – from the school board to US Senate. Women are running because they’re pissed off, because there’s an issue in their community that their representative hasn’t addressed. Women run to change things.
A year or so ago, my son came into my office and asked, “Mama, what are you doing?” I said, “I’m working.” He goes, “Oh, you’re trying to make the world a better place for me and Mila.” And I said, “Yeah.” The fact that he knew that’s what my work is, that I was trying to make the world a better place for them, it was everything. 💞
4. One smile to go: Mom, business leader, politician, and family champion 😀
Gayatri Agnew is senior director and head of the Accessibility Center of Excellence at Walmart; a city council member in Bentonville, Arkansas; and an Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow. She’s also a mother of 2, with firsthand experience navigating the joys, challenges, and victories of holding office with young children.
As a political leader, Gayatri works for an inclusive and supportive environment for families. She also created Mother’s Monday. Celebrated the day after Mother’s Day, it honors working moms and calls attention to the need for better integration of jobs and motherhood.
Organizations across the US are helping leaders like Gayatri run for office, including:
- Vote Mama Foundation empowers moms with young children to run for local, state, and federal elected positions and conducts research on moms’ representation in office.
- Higher Heights for America advances Black women’s political participation — in office and the voting booth. Founded by and for Black women, Higher Heights invests in Black women leaders through its fellowship program and political action committee.
- Healing Politics recruits and trains nurses and midwives to run for office. Co-founders Kimberly Gordon and Lisa Summers explain, “Nurses understand healthcare, but our expertise doesn’t end there. We’re acutely aware of social determinants of health and how public policies—including housing, food access, and healthcare accessibility—impact patients.”
The roundup
Learn about upcoming events, new funding opportunities, and jobs in maternal and infant health and early childhood:
- Celebrate working moms: Join Mother’s Monday for its 4th annual virtual celebration, May 15. Register to hear experts discuss childcare, parental leave, return to work support, and other issues working moms face.
- Funders’ briefing: Join the Foundation for Educational Administration April 27 to learn about 2 initiatives training school staff to better support students’ wellbeing. Register here.
- From data to action: Advocates for Children of New Jersey is hosting community conversations to review Trenton Kids Count 2023 data and brainstorm ways to serve the needs of Trenton children. The May 17 session will focus on housing and economic issues. Click here to view the report and register to attend.
- Improving Black maternal health: The Perinatal Health Equity Initiative will host the Birth Equity Conference in Newark, NJ, May 19-21. Register here.
- Advancing birth equity: Register to attend HealthConnect One’s Birth & Beyond Summit in College Park, MD, June 20-22.