If health is wealth, America’s working mothers are living in extreme poverty
That’s the headline on a white paper written by Ann Somers Hogg, director of health-care research at the Clayton Christensen Institute. I recently spoke with Somers Hogg about the conditions working mothers face in the U.S., conditions that create $55 billion in lost productivity each year due simply to school calendars.
Disproportionate Burden on Working Mothers
“Top line, working mothers are disproportionately bearing the burden of poor physical health, poor mental health, and this is on top of the economic burdens that are amplified by parenthood,” Somers Hogg said on an episode of my Money Life podcast.
Misalignment of School Calendars and Workdays
“One is not an employee from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and a mother from 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. because the school calendar doesn’t align to the workday. And it also doesn’t align on an annual schedule. In the working world in the United States, we don’t have a summer break” she told me.
Impact on Productivity
“And the conflict, this loss productivity arises not just from the conflict in an average workday, but also from the fact that when children are sick and they have to miss school, mothers are generally the first line of defense. They get the call before the fathers do usually. A lot of households in the United States are led by single mothers. So there is only one option for calling” she said,
Additional Health Issues
Those conflicts are not the only ones taking a toll on the health of working mothers.
Addressing Maternal Health
“Right now in our society, we have a lack of agreement on both the root causes and the goals of addressing the maternal health problem. Nationally, we do tend to agree on the fact that our maternal mortality is bad and we should work to reduce maternal mortality in the first year of the woman’s life after she gives birth” Somers Hogg said.
“But what I’m talking about in this report is actually the health of the mother over the life of the parent and why this is such an issue for not just the individual, but for families, for employers, and for the nation as a whole.”
Read more: $30 trillion in wealth transferring to younger women
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | Target 3.1: Reduce maternal mortality | Indicator not mentioned in the article |
| SDG 5: Gender Equality | Target 5.4: Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work | Indicator not mentioned in the article |
| SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value | Indicator not mentioned in the article |
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
The article highlights the poor physical and mental health conditions faced by working mothers in the U.S. It mentions that working mothers disproportionately bear the burden of poor physical health and poor mental health.
SDG 5: Gender Equality
The article mentions the economic burdens amplified by parenthood, which disproportionately affect working mothers. It also highlights the lack of agreement on the goals of addressing maternal health, indicating a need for gender equality in addressing these issues.
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
The article discusses the conflict between the school calendar and the workday, which creates a loss of productivity for working mothers. It also mentions the economic burdens faced by working mothers, particularly single mothers.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
Target 3.1: Reduce maternal mortality
The article mentions that there is a lack of agreement on the root causes and goals of addressing maternal health. While it focuses on the health of the mother over the life of the parent, it indirectly highlights the need to reduce maternal mortality.
Target 5.4: Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work
The article discusses the economic burdens amplified by parenthood, which disproportionately affect working mothers. Recognizing and valuing unpaid care and domestic work is essential to achieving gender equality and addressing these economic burdens.
Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value
The article highlights the conflict between the school calendar and the workday, which creates a loss of productivity for working mothers. Achieving full and productive employment for all women, including working mothers, is necessary to address this issue.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
No specific indicators are mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets. The article provides more general information about the issues faced by working mothers rather than specific data or metrics.
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Fuente: equities.com
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