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NOW-NJ Mothers
and Caregivers Economic Rights Resolution Passed at 2005
Conference
NOW-NJ leadership
and our state Mothers and Caregivers Economic Rights Task Force
(NOW-NJ MCERTF) are pleased to announce the passage of our “NOW
Values Mothers and Caregivers Economic Rights” resolution at
this year’s NOW National conference in
Nashville, TN,
July 1-3rd.
The New Jersey
contingent came out in full force.
On Friday, with
clipboards in hand, our state chapter members gathered hundreds
of signatures from conference attendees. The response from our
sister state chapters was overwhelmingly supportive. It was
clear that most everyone we spoke to held an intimate
understanding of the necessity for this resolution, especially
in light of our current embattled national climate.
Early on Saturday
morning we made it through the Economic Justice issues hearing
successfully, albeit against some tough competition, with the
help of a strong showing from NOW-NJ members.
At the plenary on
Sunday, the resolution was accepted by general affirmation by
the conference body after including a friendly amendment from DC
NOW with language regarding the gov't and business
discrimination of women on public assistance.
NOW VALUES MOTHERS' AND CAREGIVERS' ECONOMIC RIGHTS
2005
WHEREAS, the landmark National Organization
for Women (NOW) resolution "Homemaker's Bill of Rights: Economic
Recognition for Homemakers" (1978), which called for the
acknowledgement of unpaid mothering and caregiving work as a
valuable part of our nation's economy, remains largely
unfulfilled in state and national legislation nearly thirty
years after its passage; and
WHEREAS, U.S. society's underlying bias
against mothers' and caregivers' work, whether or not it is
performed in conjunction with paid or waged labor, remains
institutionalized within the U.S. Government and standard
employment practices; and
WHEREAS, in addition to the care of
children, our swiftly aging nation is putting women, our
traditional caregivers, into an even more tenuous economic
position as the unpaid work of eldercare becomes more
commonplace; and
WHEREAS, the anti-caregiving movement within
conservative politics seeks to roll back entitlements such as
Social Security Insurance and the Family and Medical Leave Act,
and to further restrict access to public assistance benefits,
forcing even greater numbers of women into poverty; and
WHEREAS, the current national discussion
over the role of our mothers and caregivers is being led by
corporate-owned media and right-wing ideologues; and
WHEREAS, it would benefit both NOW and the
nation's mother and caregiver population to build a feminist
mothers and caregivers constituency within NOW to promote active
resistance to political forces currently in opposition to the
women's movement;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW educate
the public on this issue, build coalitions with feminist
activist groups that advocate for mothers' and caregivers'
economic rights and lobby for appropriate federal and state
legislation to create programs such as quality universal
childcare, Social Security and tax credits for caregivers, and
paid family medical leave insurance; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW encourage
state chapters to form Mothers' and Caregivers' Economic Rights
Task Forces; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW encourage
local chapters to form feminist mothering and caregivers
programs to recruit women who might not otherwise become members
and to develop strong community support for our organization;
and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the National
NOW Board form a regionally representative ad hoc committee
comprised of chapter, state and national activists and experts
that will work with the Board and the national officers to
develop online resources and action kits, including talking
points, programming ideas, media resources, and other materials.
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