The Care Gap (by Mother Honestly)’s Post

This formed part of the focus of the discussion at the : Civil Society Policy Forum: Financing Care Economies through Progressive Taxation: Role of IMF driven austerity Wednesday held today at the IMF Headquarters during the annual Meetings. International Monetary Fund The World Bank #annualmeetings #taxjustice #progressivefeminist

The "motherhood penalty" extends far beyond just a wage gap. Women who step away from the workforce due to childcare costs or other family needs often face immense difficulty when attempting to return. Skills and qualifications, including advanced degrees and years of experience, are devalued. Many women are offered part-time or entry-level roles that fail to recognize their previous career accomplishments. This perpetuates economic inequality and reinforces the harmful narrative that taking time for family won't impact one's career—when in reality, it does. Women deserve recognition for the skills honed through both their professional and personal roles. The motherhood penalty is rooted not only in systemic issues but also in the unequal distribution of care work. When men take on more equitable roles in caregiving and household responsibilities, it significantly reduces the burden on women. Achieving gender equity at home and in the workplace is essential to dismantling these long standing barriers. #workingwomen #motherhoodpenalty #workingmom

What does the motherhood penalty look like for you? Because not only are women earning less for having the audacity to have children, but they’re facing an uphill battle when they try to return to the workforce. Let’s break it down: ❌Childcare is too expensive for both parents to remain in work full time ❌Moms, as the default caregiver and the one who makes 70 cents on the dollar compared to fathers, pull back from work at a MUCH higher rate than men ❌Then they’re punished with reduced pay and reduced opportunities  ❌Or, if they step away, they have a difficult time getting hired again This sounds like a systemic issue - especially since having children is an ECONOMIC NECESSITY. Someone has to do it. It’s a lose-lose scenario for women. What do you think? #motherhoodpenalty #childcarecrisis #momswhowork

What an amazing weekend , @fabiansociety Annual conference and so lovely to be part of so many thought provoking discussions. So who was there everyone from David Lammy to Sadiq Khan. And the who who of labour and industry. My favourite session of the day was equality which will be no surprise. Keynote speaker Anneliese Dodds highlighted and discussed : 📍Equality isn’t a zero-sum game; it benefits everyone. 📍Labour commitment to support menopausal women and low-paid workers. 📍Policies include banning zero-hours contracts and ensuring ethnicity pay gap reporting. Catherine Fookes, Parliamentary labour Candidate for Monmouthshire: ⚖️Urged a bold stance on equality if Labour wins the general election. ⚖️Advocated for prioritising “care”. ⚖️Called for childcare from age 1 to ease women’s re-entry into the workforce. Anya Sizer, Hackney speaker, Lead for Fertility Network UK’s Workplace Initiative: 👨👩👧👦Stressed Labour’s need for increased ambition on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). 👩👩👧👦Highlighted challenges of underfunding and mental health provision in SEND. 👨👩👧👦Urged for economically sound and emotionally literate approaches with proper funding. Dr. Liz Hind : Currently with UK Women’s Budget Group, advocating for gender-responsive budgeting. 📈Emphasised the need to address economic growth and equality simultaneously for meaningful progress. And our amazing Chair Marianna Masters #EqualityInAction #EmpoweringVoices #equality #send #childrenwithadditionalneeds #neurodivergent #neurodiversity #equalrights #equalpay #genderpaygap #ethnicitypaygap #disabilitypaygap #childcare

“…Research shows that if employers had on-site, subsidized or backup child care, caregivers (ie., women AND men) would be more likely to work in person more than required, stay at their employer for at least 4 years, and take on higher level work.” That’s a pretty powerful benefit (and ROI) if you ask me. #futureofwork #caregiving #equality #employerbenefits

In a recent feature with Blessing Oyeleye Adesiyan and Fortune we discussed how women are often expected to shoulder the bulk of caregiving responsibilities. This ongoing imbalance impacts women’s career choices and limits their contributions to the economy, as caregiving remains undervalued in society. Women shouldn’t have to choose between their careers and caregiving. It’s time to redistribute the care load!! #CareEquality #WomenInTheWorkforce #RedistributeCare #CareEconomy #GenderEquity #ValueCaregiving #TheCareGap

This Equal Pay Day, let's talk about one way to get more women back into—and thriving in—the workforce: affordable, accessible child care. Our latest research "The R.O.I. of Caregiving Benefits" with Lauren Smith Brody shows that if employers had on-site, subsidized or backup child care, caregivers would be more likely to work in person more than required, stay at their employer for at least 4 years, and take on higher level work. Learn more about the report, and see the impact that caregiving benefits can make for working mothers...and for their companies: https://lnkd.in/eXfPRyEi #equalpayday

[New Article Posted!] Women spend over 100 hours a week on caregiving work, yet it's often unpaid and undervalued. A recent study by Magdalene and the ILO reveals the true extent of time poverty faced by women, with many juggling caregiving, paid work, and personal life, leading to overwhelming pressure and missed opportunities for self-care and career advancement. RDI has just launched a new article titled 'Excessive Caregiving Work Leads to Time Poverty in Women' that dives deeper into this issue. It's time to recognize caregiving as productive work, reduce the burden on women, and promote shared responsibility. Let's support the care economy and ensure fair representation for women in policy-making to tackle time poverty and inequality. Read the full article here! https://lnkd.in/g8Q3U6HW Written by: Debby Paramitasari, AB. Darmawan, Dr Indraswari #RDIArticles #TimePoverty #WomenEmpowerment #GenderEquality #BuildingGlobalResilience #RDIGlobal #Caregiving

Our new article is out!

When 80% of the gender pay gap can be attributed to motherhood, caregiving benefits have to be part of the solution. And some good news? The latest research by Lauren Smith Brody and Vivvi show there is an 18x ROI for companies that invest in support for parents. #equalpayday #paidleave #companybenefits