MS. MAGAZINE COLLABORATION
By Katie Fleischer for Ms. Magazine
Broadcast version by Lily Böhlke for North Carolina News Service/Public News Service

While the pandemic didn't start economic inequalities in the United States, it's certainly responsible for exacerbating them, including race and gender disparities in unemployment, working conditions and poverty levels. Almost two-thirds of Americans have been living paycheck to paycheck during the pandemic, and women have been forced to bear the brunt of additional challenges like child care and other domestic work that limit their ability to work outside the home.

In order to help Americans recover from the pandemic's economic fallout, feminists are calling for new federal policies that would help working moms, low-income women and women of color in particular. By offering the flexibility and efficiency that come with unrestricted cash, policies like the child tax credit and guaranteed income seek to create an economy that works for everyone, including marginalized communities.

President Joe Biden has already taken an important step towards making a more equitable economy a reality: His American Rescue Plan includes a child tax credit (CTC) that now provides monthly payments of up to $250 per child ages 6-17 and $300 per child under 6 for the 88% of families with kids that qualify. Already, struggling families say these payments have been life-changing.

"To get the child tax credit payments that started coming last month has been a huge help," wrote one mom, I'esha (last name withheld), in an essay for Ms. "I was able to use the first payment in July to get prepared and buy my children their school things-there's so much to get. The clothes, the shoes, the school supplies. I swear that list gets longer every year."

However, Biden's expansion of the CTC is not permanent (although a majority of voters want it to continue): The monthly payments started in July and will end in December, and parents will get the other half of their annual amount when they file their 2021 taxes. In response, moms across the country are calling for Biden to push for a more permanent policy to support all low-income families.

"If I could talk to President Biden, I would tell him that he should make the child tax credit permanent, because so many people are still unemployed and the pandemic is not over," wrote I'esha. "And people need help even without a pandemic going on."

Following a similar strategy, economic justice organizations like the Magnolia Mother's Trust (MMT) say another policy would help low-income mothers, particularly women of color: guaranteed income. Guaranteed income involves payments directed to specific groups, like women living in poverty, in order to address economic inequities. By focusing on marginalized communities, guaranteed income can help address economic issues caused by systemic racism and sexism, and can give struggling Americans a way to meet their basic needs.

MMT is one example of how federal economic policies could have a huge impact on marginalized people. By providing Black mothers living in extreme poverty $1,000 per month for a year, MMT demonstrates that unrestricted financial benefits can have extremely powerful effects. For example:

A new report sheds light on the state of women's health in Ohio, with growing concerns about maternal care and postpartum mental health.

As September is one of the peak months for births, many new mothers face challenges such as postpartum depression.

Jennifer Winston, health data scientist for U.S. News and World Report, shared insights from the March of Dimes' latest report on maternity care deserts.

"Half of U.S. counties don't have hospitals providing obstetric care and a third don't have a single obstetric clinician," Winston pointed out. "Postpartum depression is a really important part of maternal health care. These closures put a lot of pressure on hospitals, especially in rural areas."

Winston's findings underscored concerns the lack of access to maternal health care services directly affects mental health, particularly for women in rural communities. The gap in care can intensify feelings of isolation and make it harder for new mothers to seek timely help during and after pregnancy.

Experts continue to emphasize the importance of early intervention and comprehensive support for women experiencing postpartum depression.

Dr. Donna O'Shea, OB/GYN and chief medical officer for population health at UnitedHealthcare, stressed the value of both medical and emotional support, encouraging new mothers to reach out if they notice signs of postpartum depression, such as overwhelming sadness, fatigue or feelings of disconnection.

"One in five women experience pregnancy-related mental health conditions," O'Shea noted. "Of women who have postpartum depression, 20% will face suicidal thoughts and even attempt self-harm."

While awareness of postpartum depression continues to grow, O'Shea emphasized improving access to mental health and obstetric care remains a priority. For Ohio mothers, especially those in rural or underserved areas, she said bridging these gaps will be crucial to ensuring their well-being during the postpartum period.

Oregon is in the upper echelon when it comes to the number of women in higher office.

Four of the five statewide elected positions in the state are held by women, including Tina Kotek in the governor's office. It is a rare achievement.

Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics, said the national average for women in statewide elected offices is about one in three. However, the number of women in the top positions in Oregon is guaranteed to go down in November, with men running for two of the five offices. Walsh acknowledged it is the nature of politics.

"No state can just say, 'Well, we fixed the problem of women's underrepresentation in politics. We don't need to do the work of recruiting and supporting women to run.'" Walsh stressed. "That work is ongoing."

Men will be facing off in Oregon's Secretary of State and Attorney General races in November. But Walsh noted the state has set a high bar elsewhere too. Women hold half of its Congressional seats and women are in a little more than 40% of the seats in the state legislature.

Walsh pointed out women face a number of barriers to office. While they raise comparable amounts of money to men running in comparable races, they are less likely to self-fund their campaigns. She explained women are more dependent on small donors, which can be good because it means more people are investing in the campaign.

"The flip side of that is that the amount of time and energy and work that it takes to raise $1,000 is just exponentially higher and harder for a candidate who is more dependent on those low level dollars or those low dollar donations," Walsh stressed.

Women running for office has become a big storyline this year with Vice President Kamala Harris' run for president. Walsh noted if she wins, it will be a big breakthrough for women, especially women of color.

"The only downside to seeing a woman elected at the very top is that people then think that the problem is solved because we've elected a woman President of the United States," Walsh added. "Complacency will not get us to gender equity across levels of office."


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Following the signing of the Michigan Family Protection Act by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, concerns remain about a potential federal ban on in vitro fertilization. The Act, signed in April, safeguards reproductive services such as surrogacy IVF and abortion. However, Project 2025 could limit access to these services if he wins the presidency in November.

Stephanie Jones of Grand Blanc, a mother who used IVF to conceive and had her daughter via surrogacy after secondary infertility, is a strong advocate of the procedure.

"A ban on IVF would be a ban on critical health care to hundreds of thousands of Americans, and without access to IVF, people would not be able to grow and some start their families. So it would be devastating," she contended.

Jones nearly lost her life due to a rare ectopic pregnancy, and credits an emergency abortion with saving her. Her pre-Roe experience now drives her advocacy for policies that protect IVF and support unrestricted abortion rights.

However, many right-to-life advocates contend that these reproductive services are not only morally wrong but unsafe.

Natalie Dodson, a policy analyst with The Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington D.C., warns that reproductive service providers often downplay the health risks associated with IVF for both mothers and babies.

"In particular, the risk of non-chromosomal birth defects increase by 40%, the risk of autism is two times more likely, stillbirth increases up to 4 times compared to spontaneous conception. Additionally, women who undergo IVF experience increased health risks and poor health outcome," she said.

Dodson claims that scientifically life begins at conception, inside or outside the uterus, and said her main concern is whether embryos created through IVF have the same value as those developing naturally.


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