Maternal Profiling was recently reported on as one of the new buzzwords of 2007 in the New York Times (and members of MomsRising were credited with introducing this term into our national consciousness!). They defined it as:

"Employment discrimination against a woman who has, or will have, children. The term has been popularized by members of MomsRising, an advocacy group promoting the rights of mothers in the workplace."

Join us to stop Maternal Profiling:

1. STAY IN THE LOOP: Stay in the loop about ways to help stop Maternal Profiling by signing on with MomsRising.org. It's free! Sign up here: https://action.momsrising.org/signup/stand_with_momsrising/

2. READ THE BLOG:  Read about how others experience Maternal Profiling on our blog! We regularly share stories about the need for equal pay, paid family and medical leave, and other workplace justice issues.

3. READ OUR WORKPLACE JUSTICE PAGE: It's full of information about identifying various kinds of maternal profiling, and how to stop it.

This new phrase is powerful because it brings forward a shared experience--helping to frame national understanding of the causes of and solutions to discrimination against mothers. Sexual harassment is a phrase which helped spark major legislative and cultural changes. Widespread use of the phrase "Maternal Profiling" can similarly help spark major changes.

And major changes are needed. One recent study found that mothers are 79% less likely to be hired than non-mothers with equal resumes and job experiences. Mothers also face discrimination in their paychecks: Women without children make 90 cents to a man's dollar, but mothers make only 73 cents to a man's dollar, and single mothers make about 60 cents to a man's dollar.

Working together, we can stamp out Maternal Profiling and make our nation more truly family-friendly.