Women Workers

The Childcare Crisis Hampers Opportunity for America’s Families

Half of all U.S. families live in childcare deserts with either inadequate or nonexistent licensed childcare to rely on for support. Within this landscape, many parents are forced to make difficult decisions about their children’s care or their own jobs, not because it’s what they think is best for their family, but because they lack any other options.

As the incoming Trump administration readies itself for office, early childhood advocates must press any advantage to keep childcare and early learning a top priority.

From Subsidized Housing to Homeownership: A Single Mom’s Journey of Growth, Grit and Guaranteed Income

Front & Center began as first-person accounts of Black mothers living in Jackson, Miss., receiving a guaranteed income. Moving into the fourth year and next phase of this series, we’re expanding our focus beyond a single policy intervention to include a broader examination of systemic issues impacting Black women experiencing poverty. This means diving deeper into the interconnected challenges they face—including navigating the existing safety net; healthcare, childcare and elder care; and the importance of mental, physical and spiritual well-being. .

“When I learned about the Magnolia Mother’s Trust program, it felt like a lifeline during a tough time when I was recovering from multiple eye surgeries. I have a lot of eye issues and bad vision and currently need new glasses but the cost is just too high, and I’m trying really hard to protect my savings. … It’s important for me to prioritize my children’s needs over unnecessary spending on wants. I’m also figuring out other ways to save, like refinancing my vehicle with a better interest rate. I hadn’t even had a checking account in years until the MMT program.”

The Public Is Demanding Paid Sick Time. It’s Time for Lawmakers to Pay Attention.

There was a promising development in the 2024 election that should not be overlooked: By large and decisive margins, voters in Alaska, Missouri and Nebraska all voted yes to enacting new paid sick time laws in each state. Now, 3 million more U.S. workers have the legal right to paid sick time and will no longer need to make the impossible choice between sacrificing a paycheck and going to work or sending a child to school sick.

With these ballot wins, 19 states, as well as over a dozen localities, have now embraced paid sick time as a fundamental workplace right—and that is worth celebrating. But access to such a vital protection shouldn’t depend on luck or zip code. Tens of millions of workers are still being left behind. If Congress wants to address widespread concerns about economic hardship and rising costs of living, they can listen to voters and tangibly improve the well-being of working families everywhere by passing the federal Healthy Families Act.

An Open Letter to Election Workers

Women make up 80 percent of the U.S. election workforce, and on this Election Hero Day, Nov. 4, we thank you for the essential role each of you plays in safeguarding our democracy. The right to a fair and accessible election is the foundation of our nation, which would not be possible without your commitment of time and service at election polling stations across the country.

The First, First Gentleman: Breaking More Than One Glass Ceiling

First ladies, while unofficial in title, have been unofficially tasked with hosting state dinners, advocating for social and philanthropic causes, and managing the White House’s image, without ever getting paid or recognized the way they should be. It’s a microcosm of the way our society still places these expectations on women in domestic spaces. Even though this labor is essential, it is often taken for granted.

Now, imagine a man stepping into this role. If a first gentleman were to perform these duties, it might force the country to rethink why these responsibilities were so heavily feminized in the first place. And even more so, it might make people question why this type of labor—whether done in the White House or in everyday homes—has been undervalued for so long.

Front and Center: ‘If You Lose Your Job, You Lose Your Childcare. How Are You Supposed to Make That Work?’ Asks Mississippi Mom of Five

Front & Center began as first-person accounts of Black mothers living in Jackson, Miss., receiving a guaranteed income. Moving into the fourth year and next phase of this series, we’re expanding our focus beyond a single policy intervention to include a broader examination of systemic issues impacting Black women experiencing poverty. This means diving deeper into the interconnected challenges they face—including navigating the existing safety net; healthcare, childcare and elder care; and the importance of mental, physical and spiritual well-being.

“I really think Trump looks down on people like me,” writes Debra, a single mother taking care of her five children, plus her grandmother and niece. “That’s not the type of person I want leading the country. … People with criminal records can’t even get a job at Walmart. But a felon can run for president?”

Rest in Power: Lilly Ledbetter, Trailblazing Icon for Women’s Equal Pay

Lilly Ledbetter, an equal pay activist whose legal fight against her employer led to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, died this weekend. She was 86. 

“One of the next steps in reaching pay equity is the Paycheck Fairness Act—a bill that would amend the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to give workers stronger enforcement tools and remedies to help close the pay gap between men and women once and for all,” wrote Ledbetter in an op-ed for Ms. in January. “But things have been frustratingly stagnant in Congress.”

Rep. Jasmine Crockett on Politics, Patriarchy, Profits and the Presidency

U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, representing Texas’ 30th Congressional District, has become a breakout star in the Democratic Party, effectively keeping politicians and pundits three times her age in check using clapbacks, one-liners—and facts. 

I was one of the first creators in history invited to the Democratic National Convention this fall. There, I spoke to Crockett, where she delivered an energetic, standout 10-minute speech. (“Will a vindictive vile villain violate voters’ vision for a better America or not?” she asked the crowd. “I hear alliteration is back in style.”) She shared her advice for young entrepreneurs, her fight for reproductive justice in Texas, and what it means for a woman of color to be nominated for president of the United States.

Supreme Court of Georgia Rules to Reinstate the State’s Six-Week Abortion Ban

The Supreme Court of Georgia will reinstate the state’s six-week abortion ban starting 5 p.m. Monday, just a week after a trial court struck down the law. 

Some abortion providers in the state had resumed offering abortions past six weeks of pregnancy since the state’s lower court struck down the ban. The lower court ruling had temporarily allowed legal abortion up to 22 weeks of pregnancy. Monday’s decision means the ban will remain in effect while the case challenging Georgia’s law makes its way through the state court system.