Thirty years ago when President Bill Clinton signed the Family and Medical Leave Act into law, the movement that was then demanding recognition for the needs of caregivers and parents in the workplace was growing and rising into the same movement that, in 2023, would demand to recognize the needs of domestic workers in their employers’ homes.
The work of care—whether provided by family members, or by professional care workers like nannies and home care workers—is no longer hidden “behind every great man…,” as the slogan of the feminist movement of the ’60s and ’70s claimed.
But the work of our movement has so much further to go. Unequal pay has added further strain on families, especially thewhere mothers are the breadwinners. Hospitals and schools have seen record staff shortages. An absence of home care workers has strained families seeking care for their loved ones. Domestic workers are still without a fair wage and a safe workplace. These burdens are heaviest for women of color, who continue to be the first to lose income and the last to receive support.
These investments are not only common sense; they have broad public support and would strengthen the economic and social fabric of our country. More states are increasing their minimum wage laws, and theWe don’t say, “Behind every great man is a great woman” anymore, because women aren’t standing behind men anymore; we are care workers and caregivers leading the way to making the investments in our shared care infrastructure that we all need.
To achieve a future where everyone can thrive, women need to be paid equally for our work, and the jobs primarily done by women—from teaching to caregiving—must truly be valued and supported.