How We Can Better Support Moms: An Interview with Reshma Saujani
Written by Daniella Kahane, Executive Director + CEO, WIN Summit
Bold change takes bold action. Nobody knows this better than Reshma Saujani, CEO and Founder of Girls Who Code, the international nonprofit organization working to close the gender gap in technology. Less than two months ago Reshma introduced The Marshall Plan for Moms to bring about a paradigm shift around how this country relates to mothers and finally compensate mothers for their unseen, unpaid labor and all they do to keep our society well. Reshma is boldly #choosing to challenge, and she is inviting us all to challenge right along with her. WIN is grateful to have had the opportunity to interview Reshma about the Marshall Plan for Moms. Read on for our top questions asked and answered!
What is The Marshall Plan for Moms?
The Marshall Plan for Moms is a 360 plan that gets women back to work, not in a few decades but a few months. This plan includes payments to mothers; passing legislation like paid leave, affordable childcare, and pay equity; safely opening schools 5 days a week, and ensuring women have the training needed so that they’re ready for jobs that are open.
How did you think to start this plan or what was the catalyst for you?
Mothers are getting crushed by this pandemic. Every mom I know is exhausted. When schools closed, we became teachers, nannies, tech support, cooks. Everything. All while working full-time jobs. I’ve seen it in my own household, and I know of women who have lost their jobs or had to quit. In December, all the jobs lost were held by women. Women of color are taking the brunt of this pandemic. This pandemic has reversed the progress we’ve made towards equality, and it will require bold solutions to get us back on track.
Why is this type of thing so critical right now at this moment in time?
Because women are hanging on by a thread, and the economic numbers show us that it is women who are getting crushed by this pandemic.
It will take a Marshall Plan for Moms to reverse the impacts this pandemic has had on women. We can’t afford to go small. Barack Obama inherited the worst recession of our lifetime, and it took nearly all 8 years for us to get back on track because Congress failed to take bold action. We can’t afford to do this again. It’s simple: If we go small, it’s at the expense of women.
What do you feel is realistic in terms of policy change we can expect to see through the Marshall Plan for Moms?
The expansion of the Child Tax Credit means that parents will receive $3,600 for each child. That is a huge win for us—it’s a down payment on the Marshall Plan for Moms that will put money in the hands of families who need it. But it’s not the 360-plan we need. We can’t stop there.
I’m hopeful that we will pass relief for mothers, paid family leave, and affordable child care. These are all policies that are long past due.
How and when did you start the movement? When did you realize it was a movement?
The movement started with the idea of a Marshall Plan for Moms. Once I started calling my activist friends, other moms, CEOs, and even fathers, I quickly realized that this is what mothers need. It quickly turned into a movement after we took out an ad in the New York Times, which called on our leaders to adopt the Marshall Plan for Moms.
Because of this movement, we now have a federal resolution in the House and Senate in support of the plan, legislation in NY, the Los Angeles City Council passed the Marshall Plan for Moms, and other states are looking to adopt similar efforts. We’re not stopping there. We’re working with the private sector to adopt the plan and implement relief for moms, childcare incentives, and paid leave wherever they haven’t already.
This movement is proof that when moms speak out, we can get things done.
How many signatories are there currently on the plan? How many would you like to see?
Over 17,000 signers and growing! We’re proud of the movement we’ve started and are excited for it to continue to grow.
Do you have any specific stories about discrimination that mothers in STEM have faced that you would like to share?
The pandemic has impacted all industries, but industries like retail or hospitality, which are dominated by women, have been hit particularly hard and some of those jobs might not come back. We need to focus on retraining programs to get women into industries and jobs that are available now.
What do you feel is the single biggest challenge moms face in this country?
Moms not having the flexibility to juggle the demands that come with this pandemic. Women are faced with having to choose between demands at home and their job. Mothers are expected to do it all and aren’t getting the support they need.
From a negotiation standpoint, is there any specific negotiation advice you would like to offer for mothers?
Don’t let motherhood deter you from asking for what you need or deserve. It is time for employers to start supporting mothers. The only way we all succeed is if mothers succeed.
If you haven’t already done so, #ChooseToChallenge with us and sign the Marshall Plan for Moms to add your voice to the movement.
You can also learn more by joining us Wednesday, March 31st as we close out Women's Month with a panel dedicated to the Marshall Plan for Moms, in partnership with HeyMama, and Powered by H&M, and featuring some of its original signatories including Hitha Palepu and Eve Rodsky.
More About Reshma Saujani
Reshma Saujani is the Founder and CEO of Girls Who Code, the international nonprofit organization working to close the gender gap in technology and change the image of what a computer programmer looks like and does. She is the author of the international bestseller Brave, Not Perfect and the New York Times bestseller Girls Who Code: Learn to Code and Change the World. Reshma’s TED talk, “Teach girls, bravery not perfection,” has more than four million views and has sparked a worldwide conversation about how we’re raising our girls. She is the host of the award-winning podcast “Brave, Not Perfect.”
