This Letter to the Editor ran in The New York Times May 27, 2018
To the Editor:
Anti-mom prejudice should certainly inspire more outrage!
At A Better Balance, we see firsthand how it derails careers, saps household income and pushes families into poverty.
Every day, pregnant women and mothers, especially those with the fewest resources, experience blatant discrimination at work and are forced to choose between caring for their children and earning a paycheck.
While rooting out discrimination is absolutely essential, the path to a level playing field for moms is far more complex: It requires collective outrage and action about the lack of supportive work-family policies in America, like paid family leave, paid sick time, predictable and flexible scheduling, and quality, affordable child care.Without these policy supports, too many moms will never achieve their potential in the workplace and earn the fair and equal wages they deserve.
DINA BAKST, NEW YORK
The writer is a co-founder and co-president of A Better Balance, a nonprofit legal advocacy group.
