A May 11, 2007 Washington Times editorial, "Lasting security a Mother’s Day wish for many," by Adrienne Washington advocates thinking in terms of long-term investments in women’s economic security for Mother’s Day, and not just in terms of long-stemmed roses.
"Mothers need gifts that last longer than the blooms from long-stemmed roses," Washington writes, and supports her claim with the value of investments in women’s economic security such as The Women’s Foundation’s Stepping Stones initiative, and a Stepping Stones Grantee Partner, Training Futures.
Writing about a Training Futures graduate, Linda Butler, whose life took a "360 degree turn" as a result of Training Futures and Stepping Stones, Washington explains, "For decades, she was a waitress earning $12,000 annually while her children were in school. Now she earns $50,000 as a due-diligence manager for Building Evaluations. ‘Training Futures gave me all the tools that I needed; it made me feel hopeful instead of helpless, and that’s a big extreme,’ Ms. Butler said…She is also worried about what she views as the "epidemic proportions" of single mothers forced to leave their children without adequate care while they go to work. ‘It’s a lot of single mothers struggling out there. … We need love and support from everybody,’ she said."
Nisha Patel, a program officer at The Women’s Foundation, explains in the column how Stepping Stones, and last week’s Stepping Stones Research Briefing, are providing this support and increasing the economic security of women throughout our region. Writes Washington: "The program will focus on ‘the lack of opportunities that keep low-income women trapped in poverty,’ Ms. Patel said. ‘And, we want the research community to have more of a focus on gender when considering these issues.’…For example, one panel will discuss how expanding child care and early education strengthens the economic security of single mothers in the District and the region."
To read more about how Stepping Stones is paving the pathway to economic security for women, click here to read the full article and then be sure to stop back by and us know what you think!
