10 Things Society Owes All Moms In 2015
It’s a new year, which means I get to demand all the things I want for women and the world needs to listen, god damn it! 2014 dragged in a lot of garbage – Hobby Lobby, abortion restrictions, celebrities discussing feminism – and it’s time to clean house in 2015. Some of these are serious, some are silly – but all are things moms deserve in the coming 52 weeks.
1. Affordable, subsidized child care.
According to the NY Times, employment rates are higher in countries with generous, subsidized childcare like Sweden and Norway. A system that supports families and parents will lead to a stronger workforce – and happier, healthier citizens. Come on, government!
2. Paid maternity and parental leave.
America is the only developed country without paid maternity leave written into national law. It’s absurd and an insult to hardworking parents.
3. More movies and TV shows with women. Period.
We make up half the population, we should make up half of what we see in entertainment. And all of it must pass the Bechdel test, or we ain’t watchin’.
4. More dude butts on TV.
Or chick butts. Whatever you’re into. But we deserve butts. As long as they’re delivered via the female gaze, a la Outlander, I’ll take it.
5. Comfortable, inviting places to breast and bottle feed your kids.
There is a mall near my house with a giant mothers’ room filled with couches, chairs, TVs and kid toys. It has four private changing rooms, each with a comfy rocking chair, where you can strip a kid of a dirty diaper or nurse a baby in private. I love this mall, and give it ALL my business, because of these things. Support moms and you get our money It’s a no brainer.
This is even more important for moms at work, who deserve stress-free environments in which to pump. No closets or bathrooms! Give moms a warm, inviting space they can call their own.
6. A ban on the word “Mommy.”
The only person who gets to say mommy is our kid. Otherwise it must cease being placed in front of words like “juice,” “friends,” “group,” “night out,” and “blogs.”
7. Stronger gun laws.
Here’s a horrifying statistic from The Huffington Post:
The number of American troops killed in Afghanistan and Iraq between 2001 and 2012 was 6,488. The number of American women who were murdered by current or ex male partners during that time was 11,766. That’s nearly double the amount of casualties lost during war.
And another one:
Of women murdered by men, 93 percent are killed by someone they know — and the majority are intimate partners of their killers.
And one more:
…the most common weapon men use to murder women is a gun. For homicides in which the murder weapon could be identified, 52 percent of victims were shot and killed with a gun. The most common firearm was a handgun, used in 69 percent of the homicides committed with guns.
Stronger gun laws improve the safety of women. Period. The End.
8. Nice, attractive pants and jeans that aren’t yoga pants but are as comfortable as yoga pants that still have a high, elastic waist thing to hold in your stomach but they’re not maternity pants, either.
Post-maternity pants? Whatever you want to call them, I need a pair. Please someone invent these.
9. Accessible reproductive care, without restrictions.
A recent report found that 18 states now have abortion restrictions in place that make them “extremely hostile” for women seeing a safe abortion. This is not only absurd, it’s endangering the lives of women.
10. Birth Control.
The Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby ruling has now opened the way for other companies to opt out of covering birth control for employees due to “religious beliefs.” This is a utter bullshit. Women should have access to birth control – and coverage – whether it is to prevent pregnancy or manage endometriosis or abnormal bleeding. Birth control is medicine, and it should be treated as such. Hobby Lobby still covers vasectomies and Viagra; their decision to not cover women’s birth control is not religious, it’s misogyny.
(GIF: via, Photo: Shutterstock)
