In his bid to become Maryland’s next governor, former U.S. Education Secretary John B. King Jr. (D) and his running mate Michelle Siri are releasing a plan on how their administration would attempt to build economic opportunities for women — by prioritizing paid family leave, affordable child care and a higher minimum wage.
They are presenting their plan a month after Siri, a women’s rights advocate and the executive director for The Women’s Law Center of Maryland, joined the campaign.
“While we’ve been seeing some gains in the economy, we have not seen it catch up yet for women,” Siri said in an interview. “The priorities are going to have to be bringing women back into the workforce.”
Paid Family Leave
Siri said an “emergency issue” is ensuring that Marylanders have at least 12 weeks of paid family leave following the birth or adoption of a child, or to provide care for themselves or a family member.
The lack of a statewide family leave policy disproportionately affects women, who shoulder most caregiving responsibilities, Siri said.
Some Marylanders have protected unpaid leave through federal law, but that may mean they have to burn through their savings or return to work as quickly as possible to get back on the payroll. “It’s just a vicious cycle,” Siri said.
When Siri gave birth to her first son, while she was a young attorney in private practice, she said she was taken off the partnership track and denied her bonus that year.
“It really was a wakeup call for me...
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