| About MotherWoman | Home | Programs | The Journal | Resources | Staff | Contact Us |
AMHERST, MA ? The Motherhood Manifesto- a powerful, just-released documentary film about Motherhood in America- was shown to a packed house at Gordon Hall on the UMass campus on Friday, Dec. 8 at 7pm. Produced by the national mothers? advocacy organization- MomsRising- The Motherhood Manifesto exposes the deep inequities and barriers faced by mothers in America, including discrimination in the workplace, the mother wage gap, abysmal parental leave, and a lack of affordable, quality childcare and safe after-school options. ?The film shows dramatically just how far behind all other industrial countries the United States lags in its support for families. It is a stirring call to action for all Americans, a film that not only shows what?s wrong but what we can and are doing to improve the lives of American mothers?. Over 100 members of the Pioneer Valley community attended. Academics and students from the 5 colleges, including a UMass professor, whose class is studying the book The Motherhood Manifesto, who personally bought admission for her students to attend. A diverse crowd of mothers, fathers and concerned community members from all walks of life came out on a bitter cold night to see this powerful film. Professional childcare was provided by the Cushman Scott Children?s Center, and a sliding scale was offered to those unable to pay the admission fee, so that all could attend. Following the film, a dynamic group of panelists spoke about the issues raised in the film, such as a pending legal case of discrimination of a mother in the workplace and the seeming complacency among Americans about their ability to effect policy change to address these problems. The audience also expressed concerns about the needs of gay and lesbian families, single parents, parents of color, the challenges facing small business owners and how to organize for positive change. This has led to the creation of a MotherWoman/MomsRising political action group. MotherWoman Inc. would like to thank the community for coming out for this event, and for its financial support. If anyone would like to make additional contributions, join the action committee, Board of Directors or inquire about programming, please contact MotherWoman Inc. at 253 ? 8990, circle@motherwoman.org or www.motherwoman.org Panelists included: ? Francine Deutsch, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Education, Mount Holyoke College; and author of Halving it All: How Equally Shared Parenting Works. ? Deb Krumholz, Board member of Take Back Your Time and MotherWoman; host of the WMUA radio show on time poverty. ? Paul Merry, JD, Employment discrimination attorney and lead attorney in the landmark MA Superior Court case, Lisa Sivieri VS. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. ? Maureen Perry-Jenkins, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Center for Research on Families, UMass, Amherst ? Nora Robinson, the Coordinator of the Afterschool Program in Springfield and a member of the Bargaining Team, UAW 2322. ? Lisa Sivieri, Plaintiff in the landmark MA Superior Court case, Lisa Sivieri VS. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts which recognized for the first time a cause of action based on the gender stereotype that a woman cannot be both a good mother and a committed worker. This event is made possible through the generous support of many, including: Center for Research on Families, UMass; Department of Communication, UMass; Everywoman's Center, UMass (413.545.0883); Food for Thought Books; Graduate Research Center (GEO), UMass; The Labor Center, UMass; Men's Resource Center; MomsRising; Newman Center; Political Economy Research Institute (PERI); Social Thought and Political Economy (STPEC), UMass; UAW Local 2322; Women's Studies Program, UMass. MotherWoman, Inc. is a local non-profit organization that provides psycho-educational support programs that create communities where mothers develop the confidence, self-esteem, knowledge, and practical skills they need to care for themselves and their children with awareness, strength, compassion and non-violence. MotherWoman, Inc. is a MomsRising aligned organization. For more information, (413)253-8990; circle@motherwoman.org; www.motherwoman.org |
|
|
