Sexism Is Keeping An Important Progressive Policy Off The Front Page

The U.S. is creeping closer to an actual paid family leave law, perhaps finally catching up to every other industrialized country in offering time off to new parents to recover from childbirth and bond with their children.

On Wednesday morning, the House Ways and Means Committee will hold its first full hearing devoted exclusively to the topic, following a year and a half of forward momentum on the issue.

And yet don’t expect Wednesday’s hearing to grab massive media attention. You’re far more likely to hear about moonshot legislation like “Medicare for All” or the Green New Deal ― or, of course, the possible impeachment of the president.

The generous explanation for this would be that there’s not a lot of controversy on this issue. Democrats are already behind paid leave and all of the party’s 2020 presidential contenders who serve in Congress are backing the Family Act proposed by fellow candidate Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.). Even Republicans are coming around.

But a more nuanced look reveals another familiar culprit.

“I legitimately think sexism is a huge part of this,” said Jess Morales Rocketto, the executive director of Care in Action, a nonprofit that advocates for domestic workers.

Because paid family leave is associated with babies and caregiving, it’s thought of as a women’s issue. And women’s issues are historically neither valued as much nor treated as seriously as other types of economic matters.

“This is the election of big ideas, so people need a big idea,” Morales said. “Am I surprised that a thing that’s mostly about women is not considered a big idea?” she added. “Definitely not.”

Morales emphasized that paid leave is indeed a game-changing idea ― a health care policy that would have an immediate impact on the lives of workers, both men and women.

“Sexism is most definitely at play in whose contributions and needs are recognized in our country, and you can see that sexism play out in which policies get headlines and which don’t,” said Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, a co-founder of the advocacy group MomsRising.

Local candidates talked about paid leave a lot during the 2018 elections, said Amanda Litman, a Democratic operative and co-founder of Run for Something. But the national elections are a different story.

“Because it’s a woman’s issue, it’s not getting traction,” said Litman, noting that while the women running for the 2020 nomination are highlighting these issues ― Gillibrand with her legislation and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has also put out an expansive child-care policy idea ― they’re not seeing a lot of pickup.

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