Do you ever wonder why most of the world's poor are women and children?  Why men occupy the majority of elected positions, corner offices, and seats around the conference table in the boardroom?  Why women have most of the low wage and minimum wage jobs, and why jobs usually done by men pay more?  If these questions interest  you, consider signing up for a free one hour webinar on April 14 called  "Counting Care In".

 

Well into the 21st century, most people assume that we are all competing on a level playing field, and that women's education and employment will deliver them to a roughly similar status with men.  Yet, this is not the case.  In 2016, men still do more paid work than women, and women do more unpaid work than men.  It's the paid work that is tracked, measured and accounted for in our national record-keeping.  The hours spent raising children, helping older parents with shopping or bill-paying, or taking care of family members with disabilities, don't get much attention from the suits in Washington, nor do they figure anywhere in our GDP.  Even though our society, and our economy, totally depend on this work getting done, it remains totally invisible.  That is a significant factor in women's greater poverty rates at every age in the US.  It can also explain why we, unlike every other advanced economcy, have no nationally guaranteed paid leave for new parents or those caring for seriously ill relatives.  We simply fail to value and account for care.

 

This is not inevitable, and it can be changed.  Effective policies can be crafted and put in place.  These same policies will advance business and promote our position in the global economy.  "Counting Care In" is all about where care fits in the economy, and how measuring it encourages family economic security, fairness for working men and women, and a stonger nation for everyone.  Webinar organizers describe it like this: