For millions of struggling moms, there is little to celebrate this Mother’s Day. Though the recession technically ended months ago, the bad times are far from over for growing numbers of women. If anything, they’re getting worse.
Government cutbacks at the federal, state and local level have taken a particularly harsh toll on women and children. Without quick and effective government action, our nation is likely headed toward a full-blown “womencession” with potentially dire consequences for our long-term economic recovery.
Women across all groups are suffering, but the downward skid for low-income women has been especially steep.
The number of low-income women living paycheck to paycheck rose to 77 percent, according to a
Lake Research Partners poll this spring for the Ms. Foundation for Women – an astonishing 17-point increase over results from a similar 2010 poll. By contrast, that number has remained essentially flat among low-income men — at 69 percent.
Americans overall continue to struggle. The number saying they live paycheck to paycheck is up by five points from 2010 — to 49 percent. But women across all categories report the greatest difficulties. The percentage living paycheck to paycheck jumped five points for Latinas to 63 percent, eight points for African-American women to 61 percent, eight points for unmarried women to 58 percent and four points for blue-collar women to 59 percent.
These numbers should come as no surprise — given the onslaught of attacks on women’s health and wellbeing in Congress and state legislatures across the country. Women are being dealt a triple blow:
- Decreased funding in areas like education, health care and social services has a greater effect on women — who hold a majority of jobs in those fields.
- Battles over collective bargaining rights and unions stand to hurt women more — since they make up a majority of public sector workers at the state and local level.
- Cuts in social services also hurt women most, since they are more likely to be living in poverty and caring for children or other relatives.
Proposed funding cuts in programs that help families— including the Women, Infants and Children feeding program; the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant, and the Women’s Educational Equity program — have the potential to set women’s progress back decades, and make it nearly impossible for low-income women and their children to get a leg up in our economy.
For these women and their families, political squabbles over the deficit and the role of government have little relevance to the reality they confront every day. For them, government programs are a lifeline to a more promising future – not the deficit-inflating source of all evil that politicians make them out to be.
Overall, our poll findings also refute what we hear every day in Washington about negative attitudes toward the government. We found that the desire for a stronger economic role for government has grown in the past year. Fifty-six percent of Americans – up four points from 2010 – agree that, “It is time for government to take a larger and stronger role in making the economy work for the average American.”
This desire for a stronger government was especially pronounced among women, 62 percent of whom (a seven-point increase) supported this view, compared with 49 percent of men (unchanged since 2010).
The poll was a stunning reinforcement of what most people are saying outside of the nation’s capital: Creating jobs and helping families is more important than reducing the deficit.
Two-thirds of women (66 percent) and 57 percent of men agree that the government should focus on creating jobs — even it means increasing the deficit in the short term. These numbers are particularly high among minority women, with 81 percent of African-American women and 76 percent of Latinas sharing that view.
Most people, including a significant majority of women, do not want deficit cutting to come at the expense of women, families and children. Fully 55 percent of women say they would be extremely or very concerned if spending for children and families was cut significantly.
The path we are on is likely to have terrible consequences for women and our country as a whole. Our economy is unlikely to stabilize and grow if millions of women cannot find jobs that pay enough to provide for their children and families.
It’s time for our political leaders to stop fighting over the deficit and start paying attention to what all Americans want most – jobs that allow them to build a future for themselves, while helping our nation achieve long-term prosperity.
Anika Rahman is president and chief executive officer of the Ms. Foundation for Women.
[Source: Politico]
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