California Chronicle

California Political Desk

August 25, 2007

North Bay Women Lawmakers Initiate Discussion.

SANTA ROSA—State and federal women legislators held a community meeting in Santa Rosa Friday, sharing information with local residents and gathering ideas for legislation to make the American workplace a friendlier place for working mothers and other caregivers.

The town hall-style meeting featured elected officials from the state Legislature and from the U.S. House of Representatives. Celebrated author and activist Joan Blades also took part, as did members of the Internet-based advocacy group MomsRising.org.

Participants included U.S. Rep. Lynn Woolsey, state Senators Patricia Wiggins and Assemblywoman Noreen Evans.

“As a single parent with two children still at home, I confront the challenges of being a working mom daily,” says Evans. “Making this juggling act a little easier on parents is a real priority for me and is what this meeting was all about.”

Blades, co-author of “The Motherhood Manifesto,” advocated for paid family leave, pay equity and flexible work schedules. She also urged a better system of after-school programs, health care, affordable and quality child care.

“Our nation lags behind almost all other developed nations in terms of balancing work and families,” said Senator Wiggins. “From substandard polices on maternity leave and family leave to the growing divide between rich and poor, particularly in those jobs that tend to be dominated by women, we need to do much, much more for the working families that form the backbone of our economy.”

Congresswoman Woolsey discussed House Resolution 2392—the Family and Workplace Balancing Act, legislation she introduced earlier this year. She also presented current federal developments on policies to balance work and family.

"We need bold new public policies for the 21st century that will help Americans to succeed both at home and at work. I have a bill in Congress to create those policies at the federal level," said Woolsey. "The Balancing Act builds on the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, which was an important step forward. But it doesn't go far enough [...] and government at every level must play a large role in making it happen."

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 75 percent of employed women worked full-time jobs, while 25 percent worked on a part-time basis. The Labor Project for Working Families report that 70 percent of all single and two-parent families work while caring for children. Also about 17 percent of full-time workers have elder care responsibilities.

“Balancing work and family is a serious problem for any working mom and dad,” said Assemblywoman Patty Berg, the chair of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus. “We think that there’s plenty of room for improvement, and we’re ready to get started. Meeting with moms and dads in the community is the obvious first step.”