MomsRising, started in 2006 by Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner and Joan Blades (of MoveON.org) comes out of their collaboration The Motherhood Manifesto and is a grassroots movement for parents who want to be part of a movement to further family friendly laws and social policies, including those represented by the acronym M.O.T.H.E.R.:
Maternity/paternity leave
Open flexible work
TV we choose and other after-school options
Healthcare for all kids
Excellent childcare
Realistic and fair wages
MomsRising claims 50,000 members and its efforts have been hailed by Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, and others. The founders are both experienced activists and the hope is that the agenda put forth by MomsRising and further delineated in their documentary "The Motherhood Manifesto" will achieve broad bi-partisan support moving forward.
As with other feminist movements in the past, MomsRising will struggle to reach beyond the class divides that have hampered the National Organization of Women (NOW) and others. The computer-savvy seem to be the main audience for MomsRising (as with MoveON.org) with the action updates and informational emails coming via the Internet. As with other efforts to date, the faces and voices of MomsRising are predominately white.
Nevertheless, many people feel that a women's movement that finally takes on some of the central struggles of being a parent in today's society is long overdue and a welcome change. Perhaps, as with the suffragettes, this second wave of activists will finally achieve the goals of earlier generations.
I sure hope so.
