Fem2pt0 : society’s issues + women’s voices

Kathryn Bigelow and “Firsts”

Meg Massey — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:13:01 +0000

On Sunday night, shortly before International Women’s Day began at 12:01am on Monday, Kathryn Bigelow became the first female filmmaker to win the Oscar for Best Director (view her acceptance speech here). Her film The Hurt Locker, a war drama about a bomb squad in Iraq, also took Best Picture honors. She was only the fourth woman to be nominated in the 83-year history of the Academy Awards. And the way the event unfolded tells us something about where we want the future of women and girls to head as we celebrate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month.

Though presenter Barbra Streisand announced the barrier-busting win with "Well, the time has come," Bigelow did not acknowledge the milestone in her acceptance speech. Instead, she offered gracious but fairly standard acceptance-speech fare: thanking her cast and crew, her family, and the troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan who inspired The Hurt Locker. As she walked off-stage, however, the orchestra played "I Am Woman (Hear Me Roar)" by Helen Reddy, an anthem of the women’s movement recorded in 1972.

The orchestra’s choice sparked some debate among journalists, feminists, and Twitter users following the show. Was it a dated tune that caricatured Bigelow’s achievement? Or was it an appropriately anthemic song to honor the moment?

Truthfully, it’s a great song to play when commemorating female firsts. The problem — and perhaps what made the song seem annoyingly dated to some — is that we’re still having female firsts nearly forty years after "I Am Woman (Hear Me Roar)" was recorded at the height of the second-wave feminist movement.

In fact, Bigelow’s reaction, when asked after the ceremony how it felt to be the first female filmmaker to win a directing Oscar, seemed to acknowledge this: "I long for the day when that modifier ['female' filmmaker] can be a moot point." She should know. Throughout the Oscar campaigning process, Bigelow has had to (gracefully and tactfully) avoid the relentless Kramer vs. Kramer-esque gossip about the fact that her ex-husband James Cameron was also nominated in the Best Director category (for Avatar). She’s also dealt with hordes of gawking journalists struggling to compute the notion of an attractive 57-year-old woman making a brilliant war film.

We should honor Bigelow for directing a fantastic film and shattering an important glass ceiling. But as we celebrate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month in 2010, we should ask ourselves what the world will look like when there are no more firsts — when women can make great films, or run great campaigns, or start their own businesses, and not have it be a radical departure from the norm.

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Come Together for International Women’s Day

Feminism2.0 — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:49:15 +0000

In the 21st century, you would think the data about women’s circumstances worldwide have improved. But current data still paints a very dismal picture. Women are still 70% of the world’s poor, they are still 75% of the civilians killed in war (along with their children), and still receive only 10% of global income for 66% of the world’s work (UN). And so today, March 8, 2010, ladies around the globe celebrate the centennial anniversary of International Women’s Day with optimism that the next 100 year will see much greater improvements in the lives of women.

Improving the everyday situations for women must become a priority of every nation if we hope to make effective, lasting changes. Curbing violence against women, in any shape or form, must be at the top of the priority list. This is an extremely important, GLOBAL issue that affects women in the poorest of regions to the wealthy neighborhoods. Whether the violence occurs during times of war or during times of marital disputes, violence is violence. Society as a whole must come to understand that women are not to be dominated by men and that women are in all ways equal to men. It is not until this notion is completely accepted by individuals all over the world that violence against women will begin to end.

“There is a special place in hell for women who do not help other women”, a quote by Madeline Albright, truly epitomizes the advances made by women and how vital support for those advances was from other women. Today represents a day when women can come together internationally to show support for a cause that is essential to all our lives. Women have made large steps toward equal rights, equal opportunities, and therefore greater general productivity, however, women must continue to take a stand for rights that are guaranteed to all.

Make sure to check out these sites below for all things International Women’s Day!

Gender Across Borders

International Women’s Day

AAUW Blog

Feministe

Harvard Business Review

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Health Care Summit: Women Underrepresented.

Meg Massey — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:49:37 +0000

My first thought when the live stream of the health care summit came on was pretty simple: um, where are all the women?

After a few strategic camera pans, I saw Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to the President’s right, and Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to his left. A good start, I reasoned. And hey, it’s great that we have a female Speaker and more than one female Cabinet member, right?

But for the rest of the summit, I was looking at one male face after another. In fact, I wasn’t even sure there were other women present until Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) spoke up a few hours in. Shortly thereafter, a camera pan caught Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA).

And that was it. Out of the more than 40 Congressional and federal representatives present at this major summit that will likely influence the direction of health care reform, we had exactly five women present. Tell me I’m not the only one who was disturbed by that.

Neither party (nor the White House) can make the argument that there were no women in Congress who were major players in the health care negotiations other than the ones present. Earlier this week, in fact, centrist Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) released a joint statement promoting provisions of the bill impacting small businesses. Neither swing vote was invited. Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA), the architect of the original abortion compromise (one that would have actually preserved the present law), was nowhere in sight, and neither was fellow pro-choice advocate Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) authored a women’s health amendmentthat passed in the Senate with bipartisan support, but was not present at the negotiating table.

Some will argue that the summit amounted to glorified political theater, and that who was present means little for the substance of the health care bill that will likely be passed through reconciliation. True, the legislation is probably not going to change much as a result of Thursday’s conversation, and political theater is a byproduct of any political event that is televised. But I’m of the mind that more women would have actually meant just a little less political theater and a little more cooperative and substantive discussion, even if the end result was not markedly different. For starters, the debate about abortion coverage would not have been limited to a factually inaccurate statement from House Minority Leader John Boehner that Pelosi was eventually able to rebut in her closing remarks.

Not only would this and the many other health care issues that uniquely impact women have gotten a little more face time, the whole spirit of the discussion, I believe, would have been at least marginally less talking-point-vs.-talking-point schlock. It’s not that women are less political than men (far from it), but throughout this long process, Congresswomen on both sides of the aisle have shown a more genuine willingness to work together on practical legislation, with less evident party posturing and more focus on solutions. (This is due in part to the fact that the Republican women in Congress are, on average, more moderate than the Republican men, making them likelier bipartisan allies; Snowe, for instance, co-sponsored the Mikulski amendment.) Watching the summit unfold, I couldn’t help but think that I would have much rather watched Snowe and Mikulski and Murray hash out the practical details of the bill than the showmanship that unfortunately characterized Thursday’s meeting.

We’ll never know what would have come of such a summit, of course. But if another bipartisan summit is to be had, those involved should think less about simply representing the two parties and more about the voices they need to include from within each party — including women.

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Pump Up the Volume: the Wake Up! Campaign May Be Over, but the Conversation Continues

Feminism2.0 — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 18:50:16 +0000

Fem2.0’s campaign, Wake Up, This Is the Reality! is winding down, and what a ride it’s been! What have we learned from it? That the public work/life conversation about what it’s like to work in America today MUST NOT END. We got a measure of how tough it really is out here as we struggle to work and take care of our responsibilities at home. If we make enough noise, maybe, finally, we’ll get the changes we need to make it just a little easier. We don’t need lawmakers’ perpetual insistence that they’re in Washington working on our behalf when they are not ready to take simple steps to prove it. We don’t need their moral support on legislation like Paid Sick Days and Paid Maternity Leave - we need their votes to make it happen!

Our blog radio series approached work/life from many directions, and the likes of Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and NY Times Motherlode blogger Liz Belkin helped us make the point that this is an issue that effects us all. If you missed the series or want to revisit any of the programs, all 11 are available as podcasts, which you can download and freely share with your own communities.

The blog carnival spanned a dizzying variety of perspectives and issues, and here are some highlights:

This Is Reality, WomenCount, 2.5.10

The reality is that we are all trying to make it work. We are all struggling with childcare, finances, finding work, keeping up with work, trying to be the best parents we can be with sometimes limited time and energy to do so. There is no such thing as a perfect work/life balance. But there is such a thing as friendship, a positive attitude, and doing the best you can.

My Mother’s Story, Say It, Sister! NOW’s Blog for Equality, 2.8.10

As I’ve been helping my retired mother prepare to move closer to me, it occurs to me just how much her life illustrates the relevance of key feminist issues - such as women’s economic security, their ability to juggle work and family responsibilities and their access to adequate, affordable health care. For more than a decade, I’ve been writing about issues like Social Security, pay equity and caregiving, and as I look closer at my mother’s history, the importance of NOW’s work on these issues becomes clearer than ever.

Do You See Yourself in this Picture?, Speaking of Women’s Rights…, 2.9.10

Family-Friendly. Family Values. Family First. Ever notice how saying a word over and over eventually turns it into gobbledygook? Sometimes it seems that way with "family": we all use it, but what do we mean when we say "protect our families"? Or "have a family-friendly workplace". More fundamentally, what do we mean when we say "family"?

Balancing on Guilt, Career Life Connection, 2.11.10

Today’s guest post is quite timely as I spent yesterday afternoon listening to a radio show where parents discuss how work/life stress affects kids and how that stress is somewhat self-imposed and how guilt plays into it. My take is that parenting is wonderful and also very hard and also simply boring. I try very hard not to do guilt as a parent…it’s unproductive. And I’m lucky to have very supportive friends who understand and know the realities of parenting and are happy to be honest about it.

Everyone Gets Sick, But Many Workers Don’t Get Time to Get Better, SEIU Blog, 2.11.10

The CDC strongly recommends that you stay home if you or your child gets sick, whether it’s with the flu or H1N1 virus. What the CDC doesn’t report is that that’s not an option for a lot of people-they leave this part out. "Most voters assume people have sick leave-that their employers just provide it," said Lake Research Partners’ Anita Sharma during a Fem2.0 podcast discussion last week on work/life policies and issues.

What Could Be More Exciting?, National Association of Mothers’ Centers, 2.13.10

The perspective on the work of parenting in our society seems to be colored by undertones of menial, less important work that gets in the way of the really important stuff we need to do. Yet, what could be more important, critical - and yes, exciting - than raising the next generation? I think we need to reframe how we think of motherhood and fatherhood. When you stop and think about it, it really is one of the most exciting and amazing endeavors a human being can experience in life.

Here are other great posts in the carnival:

Work-Life Redefined - a Blog Carnival of Ideas, About.com’s Working Moms Blog
Your Lack of Paid Parental Leave Is a Human Rights Issue: HELP HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH PROVE IT, Fem2pt0.com
Work-Life Initiatives Are the Foundation of Authentic Organizations, Authentic Organizations
Bottom Line on Work-Life Effectiveness, Catalyst, Inc.
The Part-time Worker, AFT’s Faculty and College Excellence
Let’s start talking about work/family balance, 9to5
Work/Life Balance and the LGBT Community, Mombian
Managing Work and Family is an Early Learning Issue, Birth to Thrive Online
What Do Kids Really Think About Their Working Parents?, Motherlode
Work/Life and the Military: What It’s Really Like to Work and Serve, Blue Star Families
A Woman’s Nation Demands Changes in Workplace Policy, 9to5
Working Conditions for Women in U.S. Lag Behind Europe, Say It, Sister! NOW’s Blog for Equality,
Black History Month Challenge: A Youth-Led Jobs Revolution, USW Blog
The Fem 2.0 Blog Carnival: Shifting the Public Narrative, The Brodsky Blog
Generation Y: As In, Why Not Change Now?, Say It, Sister! NOW’s Blog for Equality

Thanks again to all that spread the word, participated and even hosted their own blog carnivals. Fem2.0 gives a special shout-out to Judy Martin of Work Life Nation and Katherine Lewis of About.com’s Working Moms blog for their enthusiasm and support throughout the campaign, and to Marcia G. Yerman and Ananda Leeke for helping get the word out and keeping the online conversations lively - the Fem2.0 community would be nothing without the passion and commitment of members like Marcia and Ananda.

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A Woman’s Nation Demands Changes in Workplace Policy

Linda Meric — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:31:06 +0000

There are several words I would use to describe Maria Shriver’s impressive report, “A Woman’s Nation Changes Everything” — compelling, surprising, and maybe even revolutionary. No matter how you describe it, the report has helped re-focus us all on a topic that should be of the highest importance: Women’s workplace equality.

As the report tells us, we’ve reached a transformative moment in American history. Women now make up half of all workers in this country, and mothers are now the breadwinners or co-breadwinners in nearly two-thirds of American families.

But what needs to change to make work, well, work for women and their families? How must workplace policy and basic labor standards evolve to meet this new normal?

Pay Equity — Women still earn only about 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man. For African-American women and Latinas, the gap is even wider. The Paycheck Fairness Act (http://9to5org.blogspot.com/) would strengthen the protections available under the Equal Pay Act of 1963. The act has passed the House and the Senate is now beginning to take action on it. In a woman’s nation, families must be economically viable, so Congress must pass it now and send it to the President’s desk for signature.

Paid Sick Days — There might be more women in the workforce, but women are still the ones responsible for most family care-giving, too — and both these responsibilities must be valued. In a nation without paid sick days as a basic labor standard, it’s next to impossible. We must pass the Healthy Families Act, (http://www.9to5.org/local/activist-network/ourwork/news/why-we-should-all-support-the-healthy-families-act-of-2009) federal legislation that will not only ensure a healthy and productive workforce but will help women both care for and support their families.

A Strong Safety Net – As of 2008 more than half of the 37 million Americans living in poverty were women. The costs of supporting a family are rising, putting too many families at risk. Policymakers should ensure that women, especially working mothers, have access to good jobs with equitable salaries and good benefits, a fair chance to support their families.

As Shriver herself says, we have power in our voices and in our numbers. Now is the time to speak out. Contact your members of Congress. Write a letter to the editor. Support organizations that support women and their families. By acting together, we can determine the outcome of elections and forge new public and workplace policies.

A woman’s nation demands no less.

Meric is Executive Director of 9to5, National Association of Working Women

Visit us at www.9to5.org.

Posted with permission from 9to5 for the Fem2.0 Wake Up! This is the Reality blog carnival. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

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Let’s start talking about work/family balance

Shyria Coleman — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:30:40 +0000

By Shyria Coleman, Atlanta Chapter Organizer

When I think about my friend and 9to5 Atlanta Chapter member Leslie Hudson, I recall a comment she made one day in reference to her then current employer. We were talking about the challenges we faced as single mothers. Leslie expressed frustration over the long hours she was forced to maintain at her job as a chef in a local restaurant.

Leslie worked long hours to meet the financial needs of her household because she was paid an hourly wage. Leslie was often unable to take time off from work when she or her son was ill because she could not afford to lose the daily pay. When she was forced to take time off because her son was had an issue at school, her employer told her that her lifestyle did not work [for the employer] and she should consider finding new employment.

Leslie is one of many women in my personal life who have shared this type of experience with me. During my experience as an organizer with 9to5 Atlanta I have met many more women who share the experience of feeling marginalized by an employer because they struggle to balance family responsibilities with work obligations. Before I became an organizer at 9to5 my friends and I would complain about the lack of time available to focus on the needs of our families while pursuing our careers. At that time my friends and were not aware of the impact public policy had on our issue. We were complaining about the emotional and physical fatigue we were experiencing trying to “do it all”. We discussed the impact on our relationships with our partners, children and each other. We expressed anxiety over the upward mobility of our careers, and agonized over the possibility that a glass ceiling does exists. Could it be that our commitment to our families could be the very reason we were no longer viable candidates for the promotions and the professional accolades our childless peers seemed to be enjoying?

As an organizer I have become aware of the need to engage more working individuals with family care responsibilities in the dialog to craft workplace policies that provide access to family supportive benefits. During the month of February you can participate in a series of radio blogs on the subject by visiting http://www.fem2pt0.com/2010-wake-up-camp. You can also learn more about bringing family values to work by visiting www.9to5.org or by calling 404.222.0037. You do not have to feel isolated or guilty anymore. Do something about it today and join the movement to bring raises, rights and respect to the modern workplace.

To learn more about Leslie’s story please click on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkC9SEPnm48

Posted with permission from 9to5 for the Fem2.0 Wake Up! This is the Reality blog carnival. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

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Work-Life Fit is an Enterprise 2.0 Solution

CV Harquail — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:30:18 +0000

This headline could be puzzling… What could possible make Work-Life Fit and Enterprise 2.0 relevant to each other? After all, one is a challenge of the modern workplace, and the other is a challenge to the modern workplace.

They come together because both concepts ask us to redesign our organizations.

Although Enterprise 2.0 and Work-Life Fit strategies do not share all of the same goals, the two initiatives are complementary. Both aim to help us manage an ‘always on’ environment, where resources are used efficiently and effectively, in ways that sustain rather than drain an organization’s capacity. But currently, only work-life fit strategies intend to make work life better for us people.

Quick overview: Enterprise 2.0

Enterprise 2.0 is technology-initiated organizational change centered on ‘emergent social software programs’ that facilitate networked communication within and across organizations. Enterprise 2.0 is conventionally and initially a technology-focused strategy, but it can (and should) encompass more.

Like all technological changes, Enterprise 2.0 will shape and be shaped by organizational culture and change. Even if your organization currently uses Enterprise 2.0 software and approaches in limited ways, chances are E2.0 technologies will permeate and reshape your organization and your work life sooner rather than later.

Enterprise 2.0 strategies start with tools to connect employees and make information gathering, sharing and using easier. Among many other benefits, Enterprise 2.0 approaches promise to make work more efficient by removing unnecessary barriers and building in flexibility so that resources move more fluidly to where they are needed, when they are needed. This should mean that better results are achieved with with less wasted effort and less effort overall.

The downside of this technology enabled flexibility reach is that the technology makes it convenient and normal to expect individuals to participate wherever and whenever they are ‘needed’, even when they are not at work. You probably already experience the incremental incursion of work technology into your non-work life.

Quick overview: Work-life Fit

Work-Life Fit is the strategic organizational initiative centered on building organizations that can adapt and respond to the changing needs and commitments of individual employees and members. You’ve been hearing about work-life fit since the dawn of the industrial revolution. You may have heard of it as work-family balance, or duel career dilemmas (highlighting the two most prominent forms of work-life misfit). The problems existed before the entry of women into management, but the increasing numbers of women managers and the feminist movement have worked together to raise our consciousness.

We now understand as we haven’t before how much the structure of our work organizations and the jobs within them precludes prevents us from staying authentic, present, and nourished in our lives outside work.

Put these ideas together

Work-Life Fit is a problem caused by how we design our organizations and the jobs within them. Enterprise 2.0 is a strategy about redesigning our organizations so that we use technology to improve how we work together.

So my recommendation is:

Let’s redesign organizations to maximize the potential of Enterprise 2.0 approaches. Let’s make organizations more networked. Let’s become more collaborative, more innovate and more flexible, in ways that let us find a healthy, authentic fit between work and the rest of life.

Let’s approach Enterprise 2.0 in a way that embraces the needs of the whole employee and the human organization so we no longer work in organizations that squeeze the life out of us.

Is there anything, really, that prevents us from doing both at once?

Cross-posted with permission from AuthenticOrganizations.com for the Wake Up! This is the Reality blog carnival. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

He squeezed into the hole in the…from Laura Mary on Flickr

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Your Lack of Paid Parental Leave Is a Human Rights Issue: HELP HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH PROVE IT

Human Rights Watch — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 01:28:08 +0000

It’s shameful that the US has the distinction of being only one of only a handful countries in the world without paid maternity leave. A 2010 study of 190 countries shows that at least 177 have legal guarantees for paid parental leave, including 101 countries where national law guarantees 14 or more weeks of pay. Just a few countries fail to guarantee paid parental leave under law, including Australia, Swaziland, the United States, and Papua New Guinea. Starting in 2011, Australia will fall out of these ranks by offering 18 weeks of paid parental leave. In the US, it is largely up to employers to decide whether to offer paid parental leave. Just a few states have laws on paid parental leave, and the Family and Medical Leave Act guarantees only unpaid leave. The vast majority of US workers do not have this benefit, and low-income workers are the least likely to have it.

Human Rights Watch is looking for parents to interview about the impact of the lack of paid parental leave in the United States. The interviews will cover a range of topics, including the impact of the lack of paid leave on child health (e.g., getting immunizations, essential health care, and dealing with health problems from pre-term births), establishing or continuing breastfeeding, recovering from childbirth, family finances, and careers. They also hope to talk to LGBT parents about barriers to accessing parental leave offered by private employers. In addition to parents, HRW will also interview health care providers, business and professional associations, employers, and government officials about the benefits and challenges of guaranteeing paid parental leave under law. Interviews will be by phone or in person and last about 30 minutes.

Human Rights Watch will use these stories for a report and related advocacy that will spotlight the stories of individual parents (using only pseudonyms), discuss international legal standards and practices of other countries, and make recommendations for state and federal policy options.

Do you have a personal story to share about the lack of legally guaranteed paid parental leave? Do you work in an organization that could put HRW in touch with parents? Please contact Janet Walsh at walshj@hrw.org if you do, or to offer any feedback on this project.

To learn more about Human Rights Watch, visit www.hrw.org.

Posted with permission from Human Rights Watch for the Fem2.0 Wake Up! This is the Reality blog carnival. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

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Wake Up! This is the Reality Blog Carnival is Happening Now!

Feminism2.0 — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 01:19:45 +0000

We’ve been telling stories for the past two weeks on Fem2.0 TalkShoe radio and now it’s your turn: speak up and share your opinions, perspectives and personal experiences about work/life on your blogs or through the Fem2.0 blog. The Wake Up! This Is the Reality blog carnival kicked off on Monday and will continue through the end of this week — find all the posts collected so far by clicking here.

We aim to raise enough voices so that opinion leaders and lawmakers begin to pay attention to how tough it is out here for everyday Americans and to deliver on legislation like Paid Sick Leave and Paid Family Leave. What have you experienced? What has your family experienced? What do you want to change, and who should make the changes? If you need inspiration, check out these facts and messaging to get you started.

You can send blog posts and links to info@fem2pt0.com. If you or your organization would like to join this group as part of the Wake Up! campaign and host your own blog carnival, let us know! We would love to have you join us.

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HELP US WITH MESSAGING: Which Framework Works for You?

Feminism2.0 — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:32:10 +0000

Preliminary messaging research on work/life indicates several compelling frameworks for making the case for family-friendly work policies. Is there one message that really strikes a cord for you? And which message do you think would hit home for the majority of Americans? Does one fact really disgust you or just make you sad to think that this is how society is in the second decade of the 21st Century?

Comment here, or work it up into a piece for the Wake Up! blog carnival!

Fairness/Earning: People who work hard deserve a decent wage and a minimum level of benefits for the hours they work. Working people have earned a decent wage and a minimum number of paid sick days. That’s only fair. For part-time workers, paid sick days and other minimum benefits should be proportional to the hours they work. It’s not fair to work hard, pay taxes, play by the rules, and then be afraid to lose your job or the pay you have earned because you are honestly out sick for a day. It’s time for a new agreement between business and employees.

Families First/Smart Business: We can re-build American businesses through policies that protect families. A number of studies have found that businesses that provide flexible leave policies for workers benefit from higher morale, reduced absenteeism, lower turnover and training costs, and more employee loyalty. Deloitte & Touche estimates savings of $41.5 million annually as a result of their leave program. It’s just good for the bottom line for businesses to treat their workers with basic dignity and fairness. Putting families first and strengthening the family with modern work standards is smart business and smart family policy.

Family Havoc: Dramatic changes in the work environment have created havoc in American families. Parents are stretched to the breaking point by the demands of a 24/7 work environment and shrinking paychecks. Basic needs such as health care and child care are unavailable to most employees and all too often, families have to choose between a living wage and being able to take care of children, aging parents, and their own basic needs. It’s time for new work standards that protect families. Only by providing basic protections, such as paid sick days, can we ensure a strong America.

Today’s Demands: Today’s economy demands that both parents work in order for most families to make ends meet. It’s not the way it used to be in 1946 – when Grandpa came home from the war, got a job working for GE or Ford, got married, bought a house, and Grandma stayed home with the kids. Back then, you could live a middle class life on one income. Today, if you want a basic, no frills middle class lifestyle both parents have to work. We need to give modern families the tools they need – flexible work policies, paid time to care for family and themselves – so they can do their job and take care of their children.

Outdated: In 1960, only 10% of mothers worked, and only 10% were unmarried so it made sense for employers to shape jobs around the ideal of a breadwinner who was available for work anytime and anywhere. And it made sense to design governmental benefits, from Social Security to unemployment, around the same breadwinner-homemaker model. Today 70% of mothers work and 40% of mothers are unmarried, but employers still enshrine the ideal of the breadwinner who takes care of business, while his wife takes care of family. For most Americans, that’s not real life. It’s time for a new deal between employers and their employees.

Future Workplace: America should be a leader in the world, defining the best and most family friendly workplaces, but America is losing its place in the world. We should make the US a better place to live, work, and raise a family. We need to modernize our workplaces. Work is now 24-7, and most families have at least two jobs to keep up. In that context, we need new work rules so that families can match 21st century global jobs and modern benefits. We need to make the economy work for all hardworking people and families again.

Populist: We need an overhaul of how corporations and big business do business in this country. Their bad decisions created the global economic recession, yet banks and Wall Street got bailouts, bankers continue to receive huge bonuses, and CEOs get paychecks of more than $10 million. However, their outdated work standards are destabilizing the American family and these companies are increasingly engaging in policies that hurt working families – demanding workers work shifts 24/7 that constantly change, increasing health care costs, and not offering paid sick days. Somewhere, America’s big businesses lost their way and we need to change the rules so that they are responsible players again.

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