Speak up or others will speak for you

I was buried yesterday doing some volunteer work for a local politician.  Why take the time out of an already busy schedule?  Because if I don't speak up, I can't sit back and expect others to do it for me.  Add to that, I generally like people who work on campaigns - they're energized, opinionated and driven. 

Because I was swamped I didn't follow the breaking news of Maria Shriver's A Woman's Nation report.  I finally got a chance to look at it today.  Not to take anything away from the groundbreaking event and it's sheer scope, but I did kind of feel like I was reading a special edition of Redbook or Family Circle magazine.  Most of the focus (and I confess to not getting through all of it) was on traditional families (Male/female/2.5 kids).  This may be why I tuned out after a while.

Sure, as a remarried mom with a blended family I appreciated the "family" focus to some extent, but I've only recently joined this "traditional" club.  I far more relate to being single, and noted that there wasn't much in the report for the majority of my friends: single without kids, single parents, empty nesters, DINKs (double-income no kids), same-sex partnerships, etc.  It sort of felt like a large part of the population was missing from the conversation which focused on working moms and dads. 

So far, the most vocal about this has been Melanie Notkin, Founder, SavvyAuntie.com.  In an Editor's Letter on her site, she writes how PANK's (Professional Aunts No Kids) were left out of the conversation.

I agree that drastic changes need to be made as women account for 50% of the US workforce. And I applaud Maria Shriver, the Center for American Progress, and NBCU - the media platform that will be sharing the findings with the nation this week - for finally bringing to light the new face of the American economy.

And I agree that the American family has changed and support all efforts that enable moms and dads to work and raise their children without having to sacrifice as much as they do today.

But when speaking of the nation's women and the economy, women without children who love, nurture and support the children in their lives should be part of the conversation. The women who have discretionary income and time that they spend in our economy should have a voice.

Otherwise, we really haven't come a long way, have we?

I'd go one further - women without children, even those who can't stand children and prefer dogs, cats or houseplants should have a voice.

Kudos for Maria Shriver for starting the conversation in a big way, and also to Melanie for speaking up for a segment of the population that was left out.

What do you think?  Have you read the report?  Let us know!  It's your chance to speak up before someone else speaks for you.

Diane K. Danielson, founder, DowntownWomensClub.com and author The Downtown Women's Club Beginner's Guide to Facebook.

p.s. My favorite part of the report is that it brought up conversations about the ridiculous school schedule and how it was created at the turn of the century to have the kids help in the fields. This was a topic we covered back in 2007 when we wrote about aligning school days with work. 

Comments

[Avil Beckford]

I do agree with Savvy Auntie (Melanie Notkin). I do not have any children, but I played a role in raising my niece. I was the one who went with her to college orientation. I was the one who was with her when the doctors thought that she might have a brain tumor. The two of us have a strong bond.

And, when working women with children have crises and have to leave work early or take days off, it's often the single women who have to take up the slack. So yes, we should have a voice and we should be consulted.

Avil Beckford (I am a Canadian, but many of my relatives, including my niece, are Americans)

[Diane K. Danielson]

Thanks for the great comment. Another thought on this is that single women don't have the support system married couples do. Most studies show married men do the best, but that's because they can be "uber-employees" and have someone else wait for the plumber, take their suits to the drycleaners, etc. I hope this dialogue continues and becomes more inclusive of all women.

[Deborah Bailey]

I haven't read the report, but I totally agree with what's been said here. I'm a godmother and an "aunt" to the young children of one of my best friends. I'm not a mom biologically, but I don't think that should exclude me from the conversation. It seems that we're still stuck in a 1950's idea of what a family is and isn't. My personal definition of what defines a family is much broader and more inclusive.