Election Day

Well it's election day and I feel compelled to write about it.  I, for one,am excited to vote.  I'm a wholehearted political junkie; I cna't get enough of the stuff.  I'm the one who flips between channels all night listening to the analysis and the pundits spewing forth their wisdom.  The significance of this year's election can't be understated.  For the first time, we could have an African American president.  Pretty amazing, though long overdue.  Clearly we've made progress, though, of course, not enough.  And that leads me to other areas where we haven't made enough progress.

According tot he CDC, most women aren't breastfeeding for the recommended period of time---6 months.  But, our government doesn't make it easy.  Sure, we have the the Family Leave Act, which guarantees us 12 weeks maternity leave, but employers don't have to pay us for that 12 weeks.  They just have to give us our jobs back.  In survey after survey, mothers say that longer maternity leaves would influence their decision to keep breastfeeding.  But those maternity leaves need to be fully paid as well.  Again, studies after studies show that most women stop breastfeeding because they have no choice but to go back to work; they need the money.  And, given our current economic cliimate, that's especially true.

But what's also true is that the burden lies with us.  Our lawmakers won't do anything unless they feel their political lives are on the line (yes, I'm also a cynic through and through).  As their constituents, it's up to us to mobilize; to make them understand that what's good for a working mother is good for a company.  And what's good for a company is good for the economy.  And what's good for the economy is good for our country.  There you have it, I've connected the dots.  Whoever wants to be the next president must mandate longer maternity leaves, and fully funded ones to boot.