On May 8, 2010, I became a mother. I didn't know whether I was going to have a girl or boy, but had been saying for months, that if I had a girl, which I was suspecting, life was about to become a whole lot more complicated. While I believe that's true for any parent, today being a girl is becoming harder, not easier, than before. Girls are bombarded with sexist images and rhetoric from before they can speak. Besides being a positive influence in her life, how could I help my daughter avoid the pitfalls that were waiting for her, pitfalls that proclaimed that she could be somehow better if she weighed less, had larger breasts, a smaller waist, blonder hair, pricier clothes, and, of course, a man.
And during my maternity leave, I was also reigniting my passion for the causes of mothers and women at home and at work, including breastfeeding, low wages, lack of daycare availability and funding, and workplaces that punish rather than reward motherhood.
I hope in this blog to explore some of these issues further, and ask for input from readers regarding news stories and answers to question, "How do we win this fight?"
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