I’m usually too busy daydreaming about summer break or contemplating how I’ll survive finals to think about raising a family. Teething, potty training, and securing paid maternity leave are the farthest things from my mind.

A decade from now, however, it may matter to me that the United States remains the only nation in the developed world without paid maternity leave .

Not only do women sacrifice their earnings to spend time with their children, they also risk damaging their future careers. According to a Cornell study , moms (and especially single moms) make much less than fathers or unmarried women.

In addition, America’s daycare system is often poorly equipped to handle the needs of working mothers. Rising fees and crowded centers have made it harder for new mothers to leave their children in daycares. This pressure has been exacerbated by familial norms that load mothers with most of the childcare burden. As a result, working moms face fewer childcare options as well as stiffer penalties for leaving their jobs to care for families.

Fortunately, help is on the way. Pennsylvania lawmakers are working to protect women from disclosing their familial or marital status to potential employers ( House Bill 280 .) While the bill will not achieve perfect workplace parity, it takes a small step toward better working conditions for women.

For working moms out there, this bill might be the perfect Mother’s Day present.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 16th, 2007 at 2:18 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.