This weekend is Mothers Day, and while for many people that signifies fresh flowers and celebratory brunches, many female faith leaders are urging Congress to go beyond for all the women and mothers out there by supporting true pro-family legislation.
As Faith in Public Life notes, yesterday, more than 50 women signed a letter encouraging legislators “to move from lofty rhetoric about family values to responsible policies that help women and families.” The signees included Sister Simone Campbell of NETWORK and Sister Ann Sholz of the Leadsership Conference of Women Religious, as well as Karen Clifton of Catholic Mobilizing Network and Kim Bobo of Interfaith Worker Justice, among numerous other Christian, Muslim, and Jewish leaders.
As we explored in our June 2013 issue, America is not known for having the family-friendliest of workplace policies, as it lags far behind other industrialized nations in areas such as paid time off, flexible scheduling, affordable child care, or manageable work hours.
The main issues that the faith leaders singled out in their letter included paid leave and sick days, discrimination in the workplace due to pregnancy, and the lack of a living wage as well as the wage gap between men and women. The women called for support of the Healthy Families Act, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, as well as policies that allow working women to earn enough money provide for their families.
“As Christian, Jewish, and Muslim women, we are inspired by diverse faith traditions that share a conviction that public policies must serve the dignity of the human person, support the family and promote the common good,” the letter reads. What better way to celebrate mothers and women by making sure each of them has opportunities to live and work with full human dignity?
