When Moms Are Lifted Up, So Are Their Families

May 08, 2022

When Moms Are Lifted Up, So Are Their Families

This Mother’s Day, we’re feeling such gratitude for all of the wonderful female role models in our lives, and for all the parental figures out there who help bring joy into kids’ worlds.

Did you know that shopping consciously can benefit moms around the world? When you buy clothing that was made under fair and safe working conditions, you’re buying clothing that enables female makers to thrive and grow.

When women have better working conditions, the lives of entire families improve.

Many of our makers are working parents, and when moms have access to more, the world has access to more. When women are healthier, so are their kids - and in turn, so are the societies they live in.

Worldwide, many women are held back from the workforce due to unevenly distributed unpaid labor at home. According to the UN, women in 95% of countries around the world are more likely to work part-time than men, and they are more likely than men to work in the informal economy in 56% of countries.

This can often equate to lower pay, less job security, fewer social protections if something goes wrong in the workplace, and too many opportunities for unsafe or unfair work environments to develop.

But when women do have access to safe, dignified work, the kids in their lives are more likely to thrive.

Healthcare
When women work a job that provides them access to quality healthcare, their kids are more likely to lead healthier lives. According to research from the Urban Institute, parents with less economic security worry more often about whether they can access the medical care their kids need.

As a parent’s income rises - as it might when taking on a vetted, safe, and fairly paid job as a maker - their odds of disease and early death decrease.

Better healthcare through quality employment means better access to preventative care for both Mom and her kids.

Financial Independence
Financial empowerment is a cornerstone in our global progress toward gender equality. When women have their own independent income, they’re more likely to have more control over their own time, more decision-making power in their households, and better access to resources.

But women are less likely than men to have access to formal bank accounts, and as of 2020, only 50% of women who were of working age were part of the labor market worldwide.

Education
Only 60% of young people worldwide are expected to finish their secondary education in 2030.

When a woman and her children have more access to education - which often grows with her income and work opportunities - kids have a better shot at success. When moms are more educated, kids have access to stronger human capital, cultural capital, ands supportive social networks - all building blocks of their future.

So how can we set women up for success?

The makers in our network and other ethical makers around the world have supported women’s success in many different ways, including benefits like:

  • Healthcare for each employee’s children
  • Accessible childcare while parents are at the workplace
  • Education funds employees’ kids
  • Home workshops to enable women to spend time with their children while working

When women win, we all win. Happy Mother’s Day to all the inspiring female figures who are shaping kids' lives!



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