In a public radio feature about feminism yesterday, Governor Madeleine Kunin argued that it is time that American feminists got around to promoting family-friendly work policies that other nations have implemented for decades, such as paid family medical leave, affordable childcare, and flexible work options.  As I listened, I wondered if this focus on family might be a good way to frame feminism for my as-yet unconverted to feminism Mormon associates, since that sparkly, happy word “family” seems to appeal to Mormons.  However, are Mormons ready to support policies that help women to successfully navigate work and motherhood?  Or are  working mothers  still seen as pariahs in our culture?

You can listen to Governor Kunin’s interview here.

And hear the complete podcast, “The 51%” here.

When I was a fetus, I had my first and only opportunity to contribute to the design of the Mormon undergarment.  My parents’ neighbor had been commissioned to design maternity garments for the Church. Her goal was to make a garment that would accommodate a pregnant woman’s expanding belly without discomfort.  She sought out my mother’s help because she needed a model who was both temple-endowed and enormously pregnant.  As she observed to my mom, “Not many women get as big as you.”

Paid Maternity Leave World Map, McGill Institute for Health (click to enlarge)

I will let you all in on a secret:  I am pregnant.  Well, I guess it isn’t that big of a secret, especially now that I’ve told countless strangers on the Internet.  Yet, I am afraid to tell my boss.

Mandatory maternity leave benefits are pathetic in my country, and in a way, this should make it easier to tell the boss the news.  After all, employers don’t have to spend extra money to send a woman on maternity leave and the time period of lost productivity is relatively short.