It’s not news that many women take a financial hit when they have children — a more than 50% drop in earnings, per a new study, or 60% for women who are the primary breadwinner. New policies could shrink the so-called “mother penalty,” argues Bloomberg’s Sarah Green Carmichael, particularly better parental leave policies and affordable day care. But even important is a broader cultural change: convincing Americans that mothers and fathers are equal partners in parenting. That shift would “combat one of the most pernicious reasons for the motherhood penalty: bias against moms in the workplace.”
By Emma W. Thorne, Editor at LinkedIn News
This study points out that many women suffer economic losses after having children, especially if they are the primary breadwinner. This phenomenon is known as the “motherhood penalty,” which is the limitation on career advancement and financial income that mothers face in the workplace due to their childcare responsibilities.
Sarah Green Carmichael argues that this “mother penalty” can be reduced through new policies. For example, improved parental leave policies and the availability of affordable daycare can help alleviate the difficulties mothers face when they return to the workplace.
However, broader cultural change is also crucial. This means treating mothers and fathers as equal partners in parenting and changing the bias against mothers in the workplace. Workplace prejudice against mothers not only constrains their career advancement, but also affects their economic status.
This cultural shift can reduce the prejudice and unequal treatment associated with the penalization of motherhood. It means providing more support and resources to mothers to balance their professional and family responsibilities. There is also a need to push men to take on more responsibility for childcare and household chores in order to promote an equal work-family balance.
In short, policy reforms are necessary to reduce the “motherhood penalty”, but broader cultural change is also key. This economic injustice and occupational limitation can only be eliminated if mothers are treated and supported more equally by society and the workplace.
BY: ANU PALO
You know what needs to change?
The motherhood penalty.