Celebrating Women’s History Month by Championing Working Moms
Becoming a mom gives you capabilities you didn’t have before: empathy, courage, vision, leadership, efficiency, and so on—the kick-ass qualities any company is desperately looking for in an employee. However, these ideal employees are waiting for the workplace to finally work for them. Finding ways to celebrate what a working mom can uniquely bring to the table ensures that they’ll show up and show off. Here are a few tips on how we can all support women, particularly moms, in the workplace.
1. OFFER FLEXIBLE WORK OPTIONS
Offering remote work and hybrid workweeks are potential solutions based on what’s already working for working moms and families. It may require a little extra strategizing to align calendars with overall organizational goals, but it’s worth it. With employers fighting to support women at work and at home, working mamas can reenter or remain in the workforce, serving to benefit our entire country.
2. PROVIDE AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE
The pandemic revealed the ineffectiveness of more than one American system. But maybe chief among the pack is our nation’s formula for childcare. It’s not working for anyone—not mothers, not hourly caregivers, and not companies. If we support working women and enforce family-friendly policies, we’re going to have happy employees who show up and are productive. Companies that help to find creative solutions to childcare have the opportunity to grow.
3. ESTABLISH MORE MOMS IN POSITIONS OF LEADERSHIP
There is a need for and benefit to moms being at the highest levels of leadership within an organization. We need moms at the top. Have moms on the board or as part of the decision-making team. Establish sponsorship programs geared at training and equipping mothers to lead. The changes required to protect and support American families won’t come until moms have more of a voice in the cultural climate of businesses in this country.
4. INCLUDE MEN IN THE CAUSE
It can’t just be a women’s cause—it’s got to be a human cause. We have to talk to men about our experiences and the experiences of others, and we need to learn how to do it in a way that doesn’t scream, “This is your fault!” but communicates instead, “This affects all of us, and we need your help.”
5. MEN, TAKE YOUR PATERNITY LEAVE.
All of it. And if you don’t have paternity leave, fight for it. When a father takes paternity leave, his choice doesn’t just improve the outcomes for the father and the child, but for the mother as well. Paternity leave shifts parenting dynamics for the better.
Award-winning journalist and mom-of-three Paula Faris gives insightful and practical steps for better working, momming, and living to millions of overwhelmed working moms.
In Paula Faris's most important reporting yet, You Don't Have to Carry It All reveals a game plan that will not only make being a working mom "work" but will also reveal how and why society needs to value mothers first. Weaving together groundbreaking research with inspirational wisdom, she:
- recognizes the history of working moms in America and its lasting impact today,
- shows how motherhood has scientifically improved the minds and capabilities of women,
- encourages moms to link arms, not only with each other but also with men, and
- proves why corporate America is better with moms at the helm.