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“When the estimated GDP for household work in Norway were published some men commented that the numbers must be overestimated. Everybody knows a housewife isn’t that busy.”
- Ann Crittenden, The Price of Motherhood
About The Film “Pay Moms” (Working Title)
We’ve talked for the last decade about the invisible labor of mothers, now it’s time to talk about the invisible paycheck.
Award-winning documentary filmmaker Erin Bagwell (Dream, Girl & Year One) is producing a new documentary film about the unpaid labor of mothers. Inspired by reading “The Price of Motherhood” by Ann Crittenden, as well as her own experience of being a stay-at-home mom with both her daughters, Erin’s new film plans on debunking the myth that “women’s” work shouldn’t be compensated.
Collaborating with Mary-Jane Morley, a local attorney, mother of two boys, and the owner of a law firm concentrating on providing general counsel, startup, and labor and employment services to entrepreneurs and businesses in niche industries.
Erin and Mary-Jane are bringing together Buffalo mothers to ignite a conversation about the value of being a caregiver both economically and culturally.
The documentary will take place in Buffalo, New York with aspirations to inspire mothers across the U.S.A. to join their movement, demanding more from the U.S. government.
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Did You Know?
Unpaid child care is not measured or counted as labor so caregivers earn zero social security credits for raising children at home. As a result, millions of American women forfeit billions of dollars a year in retirement and income.
When women step outside of their jobs to raise children they lose on average $659,139 in lost wages, a phenomenon known as the “mommy tax.”
The idea of “women’s-work” being unpaid trickles down into other professional caregiving roles making them less financially lucrative- professions like teaching, nursing, and elder care.
America’s exclusion of caregiving has its roots in white supremacy. Caregiving and farming were excluded from The New Deal because they were traditionally the roles done by people of color, women, and immigrants.
Countries like Denmark, Canada, Finland, Estonia, Germany, Sweden, and France offer different levels of childcare support (in Denmark parents receive childcare allowance of $2,572 per quarter for each child). By contrast, the U.S.A. doesn’t even have a federal maternity leave plan for new moms.
Postpartum rates and concern for maternal mental health are skyrocketing in the U.S.A. but according to studies, access to childcare protects moms from depressive symptoms.
Conversations about paying stay-at-home moms have been part of the national discourse since 1975 with the seminal writing of Silvia Federicici who wrote Wages Against Housework which illustrates the need for women to be compensated as a political movement.
In 2021 fifty prominent men, including business leaders, athletes and actors, are making a proposal that would pay moms $2,400 a month for their “unpaid labor at home” as record numbers of women have left the workforce due to the pandemic and economic crisis (Marshall Plan for Moms).
Contact
Erin at erin@dreamgirlfilm.com