NOW plans action on
Mothers'/Caregivers' Economic Rights

On July 3, 2005, The National Organization for Women (www.now.org) formally adopted a resolution in support of Mothers'/Caregivers' Economic Rights. The resolution, which was presented for consideration at the organization's 2005 National conference and passed by a unanimous vote, authorizes national, state and local branches of NOW to take action to "educate the public on this issue, build coalitions with feminist activist groups that advocate for mothers' and caregivers' economic rights and lobby for appropriate federal and state legislation to create programs such as quality universal childcare, Social Security and tax credits for caregivers, and paid family medical leave insurance." It also calls on the organization to "encourage state chapters to form Mothers' and Caregivers' Economic Rights Task Forces" and "encourage local chapters to form feminist mothering and caregivers programs."

According to Laurie Pettine, Chair of the NOW-New Jersey Mothers' Economic Rights Task Force, strong support for the resolution reflects NOW's unwavering commitment to economic justice for women. "We had tremendous support for the resolution from different coalitions at the National conference," reports Pettine. "Young women, NOW's Women of Color and Allies coalition, groups focused on the rights and welfare of disabled women -- these activists all understand the relevance of caregiving and caregivers' economic rights to the organization's broader agenda." Pettine notes that this is not the first or only time NOW has rallied behind caregivers' rights. "In the 1970s, NOW adopted a Homemakers' Bill of Rights, which addressed many of the same policy issues mothers' advocates are focused on today -- Social Security, child care, workplace flexibility, part-time parity, and adding the value of unpaid family work in the GDP." And although NOW may be better known for championing reproductive rights and opposing sex discrimination, Pettine says recognition for the organization's thirty-year history of activism on issues of importance to mothers and families is overdue. "NOW has always been on the frontlines of critical battles -- for child care, for the FMLA, for the rights of women on public assistance and those in underrepresented populations, and for fair family law -- all of which are closely linked to mothers' and caregivers' economic security and overall well-being."

Pettine credits state and local NOW-NJ leaders for getting the ball rolling on the resolution, which members of her chapter began formulating in 2003. "When we first proposed the task force, we had incredible support from then NOW-NJ President Elizabeth Volz, who is a mother of four and had a newborn at the time. Mavra Stark, who was the President Morris County NOW, had been working on mothers' economic rights since the 1970s and was instrumental in getting the state-level Mothers' Economic Rights Task Force underway." The NOW-NJ MERTF, which was responsible for getting the Mothers'/Caregivers' Economic Rights resolution on the national referendum, spent months doing background research and fine-tuning language for the final draft. "NOW-NJ MERTF is a fantastic group of activists who worked long and hard to get the resolution passed. We were also fortunate and grateful to have had input and support from many leaders of the national mothers' movement, including Joanne Brundage of Mothers & More and members of the National Association of Mother's Centers steering committee. Their involvement was extremely valuable," adds Pettine. MMO founder and editor Judith Stadtman Tucker also contributed to the project.

Pettine comments that just weeks after the resolution was adopted, NOW state chapters across the country have already shown interest in forming Mothers'/Caregivers' Economic Rights Task Forces. "NJ MERTF put together state action kits, and we've had a number of inquiries since the conference," she says. The next step for National NOW Board will be forming a regionally representative ad hoc committee of chapter, state and national activists and experts to develop online resources and action kits, programming ideas, media resources, and other materials. Pettine relays that recently re-elected NOW President Kim Gandy is eager to move forward. "Kim's a mother -- she has two school-age daughters. She is very excited about -- and supportive of -- this work."

mmo : july/august 2005

NOW VALUES MOTHERS' AND CAREGIVERS' ECONOMIC RIGHTS

2005

WHEREAS, the landmark National Organization for Women (NOW) resolution "Homemaker's Bill of Rights: Economic Recognition for Homemakers" (1978), which called for the acknowledgement of unpaid mothering and caregiving work as a valuable part of our nation's economy, remains largely unfulfilled in state and national legislation nearly thirty years after its passage; and

WHEREAS, U.S. society's underlying bias against mothers' and caregivers' work, whether or not it is performed in conjunction with paid or waged labor, remains institutionalized within the U.S. Government and standard employment practices; and

WHEREAS, in addition to the care of children, our swiftly aging nation is putting women, our traditional caregivers, into an even more tenuous economic position as the unpaid work of eldercare becomes more commonplace; and

WHEREAS, the anti-caregiving movement within conservative politics seeks to roll back entitlements such as Social Security Insurance and the Family and Medical Leave Act, and to further restrict access to public assistance benefits, forcing even greater numbers of women into poverty; and

WHEREAS, the current national discussion over the role of our mothers and caregivers is being led by corporate-owned media and right-wing ideologues; and

WHEREAS, it would benefit both NOW and the nation's mother and caregiver population to build a feminist mothers and caregivers constituency within NOW to promote active resistance to political forces currently in opposition to the women's movement;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW educate the public on this issue, build coalitions with feminist activist groups that advocate for mothers' and caregivers' economic rights and lobby for appropriate federal and state legislation to create programs such as quality universal childcare, Social Security and tax credits for caregivers, and paid family medical leave insurance; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW encourage state chapters to form Mothers' and Caregivers' Economic Rights Task Forces; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW encourage local chapters to form feminist mothering and caregivers programs to recruit women who might not otherwise become members and to develop strong community support for our organization; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the National NOW Board form a regionally representative ad hoc committee comprised of chapter, state and national activists and experts that will work with the Board and the national officers to develop online resources and action kits, including talking points, programming ideas, media resources, and other materials.