My daughter, at eight years old, is delightfully strong-minded and smart in a way that only eight year olds can be. Her favorite movies these days are: Flipper, Happy Feet, The Wizard of Oz, Shrek II, and The Motherhood Manifesto. I'm embarrassed to say that she truly has watched the big MM a dozen times!
I asked her how the Motherhood Manifesto made her particularly stellar lineup of fav movies (other than the fact that her own mother was involved in the project, of course). Here's her answer, "The movie is great because it has interesting stories, facts that I used to not know, and I like the cartoons in it--it's funny and serious and I like that."
Interested in seeing it too? Starting to get worried about missing a documentary that competes with Flipper and Happy Feet? Realizing that Mother's Day is right around the corner and thus is a perfect time to catch this flick with family and friends?
Good news: You can see this film--and maybe even watch it with your mother or daughter (even if they are miles away at the time). This documentary film will be broadcast on hundreds of PBS stations around the country on or around Mother's Day; and MomsRising.org is hoping as many people as possible will take a moment to watch a film that can help move our nation to be truly-family friendly.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR MOTHER'S DAY: Celebrate Mother's Day by getting together with family and friends to watch the Motherhood Manifesto documentary film. There are two easy ways to watch the film with others:
1-Click here to check on PBS show times in your area: http://www.momsrising.org/PBS
You can invite friends and family to join you when you watch the film on your TV. If it's showing at an inconvenient time, tape it, and invite friends to watch together at a time that works for you. (If you don't see a broadcast time on the list, don't despair. Many stations have not yet finalized their schedules. Call your station to ask them about their plans to broadcast the film using the info on the PBS link above.)
2- If it isn't showing in your area, then you can get a DVD of the film at cost by clicking here: http://www.goodstorm.com/stores/momsrising
WHAT'S UP WITH MOTHERHOOD ISSUES: Sad but true... a deep bias against mothers exists in America today. On average, women without children make 90 cents to a man's dollar, mother's make 73 cents, and single mothers make as little as 60 cents to a man's dollar. One study found that U.S. mothers are 44% less likely to be hired than equally qualified non-mothers and they were offered an average of $11,000 less.
Most countries have better family policies--and smaller wage gaps--than we do. In fact, the U.S. is one of just four countries in the world that doesn't provide some form of paid leave for new mothers. That puts us--one of the wealthiest nations on the planet--in the company of Papua New Guinea, Swaziland and Liberia.
These facts begin to explain why there are so many women and children living in poverty and why there are so few women in leadership. Working together, we can improve the lives of our nation's families.
SHORT FILM = BIG IMPACT: One of the most amazing things about the Motherhood Manifesto film is how powerfully it tells the story of the American family in such a short time. The "party version" of the film is just 45 minutes long--but it generates reactions like these:
"The movie presents a compelling combination of personal stories, expert testimony, old film clips and even corny cartoon interludes. I watched the film with five other women at a neighborhood house party. Before the film began, we easily filled our conversation with typical playground topics. Then we watched the movie, and we were moved to become activists. We're all busy moms but before we said goodnight, we'd made our wish-list for three local legislative changes we'd work for, exchanged email addresses and promised to meet again in a month. The Motherhood Manifesto is that motivating." - Caroline, California
"Our film party was a hit. Several moms were moved to tears by the movie. The group is interested in taking action on the MomsRising issues locally and is deciding what to do next. Thanks, MomsRising, for rallying us around these important issues!" - Jenny, Montana
EXPAND YOUR CIRCLE: Invite friends and family to watch the film with you. Expand your circle by inviting people from your church, PTA, play group, or posting a notice in your community newspaper. To expand your party's impact even further, consider inviting other amazing MomsRising members in your area--even if you don't know them yet. When you register your party, simply choose the option to make your party "public." We also have resources--posters, sample email invitations, how-to kits, and ways to take action--to help you with your gathering on the registration web page.
CONSIDER HAVING AN "OFFICIAL" FILM SCREENING GATHERING: Just click here to register your gathering: http://www.party2win.com/momsrising/hostparty/index.cfm
Why register? When we can tell leaders and the media that hundreds of gatherings were held on, or around, Mother's Day, they'll know that citizens care and that it's time to pay serious attention to building a truly family-friendly nation. If you don't want to register on the website, just drop us an email at party@momsrising.org
Imagine... your party will be one of hundreds around the country honoring mothers and envisioning a more family-friendly America for us all. This is what Mother's Day is all about!
Happy Mother's Day!