Ann Crittenden, the author of a groundbreaking book on motherhood in America, will be the featured speaker at a virtual public policy forum sponsored by the National Women’s Political Caucus of California on Saturday, June 19, 2021.  Based on her book The Price of Motherhood:  Why the Most Important Job in the World is Still the Least Valued, the forum will illuminate how the issues Crittenden identified some 20 years ago have persisted and have finally become visible to the world at large due to the impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on families, especially on mothers. 

This event will be a Zoom meeting format - all proceeds will go to Women's Leadership Fund (tax-deductible)
$25 for members
$80 non-members and includes an NWPC CA Membership
$50 for Non-members

NWPC CA could not bring informative discussions like this without your generous support.  Consider becoming a sponsor of this event - our sponsorship opportunities will be listed below and will be acknowledged during the event.

Mom Advocate--$100 (1 ticket)
Mom Enthusiast--$250 (2 tickets)
Mom Champion--$500 (4 tickets)





The devastating failure of American society to value caring for children—indeed, caring for anybody—has not only failed to improve over the years, but has been exacerbated by the pandemic’s impact on the economic status of women, especially women of color.  As the economy recovers, policymakers are finally beginning to grapple with the issues of child care, family leave, health care, education, and elder care that have always been assumed to be a free commodity provided by women, and not counted as important to the economy at large.  This is the time to shift American society to value motherhood in more than sentimental fashion—and to restructure our economy and our social institutions so that women no longer pay an unacceptable price for becoming mothers, and all of society benefits from equitable policies that value motherhood and caregiving.

The online forum will feature a presentation by Crittenden, and a response panel of California women legislators who are the mothers of young children.  There will be a Q&A period after the presentations, and participants will be able to access information on current legislation they may wish to support.

Speaker Bio

Ann Crittenden, author of The Price of Motherhood:  Why the Most Important Job in the World Is Still the Least Valued, brings a long and storied career as an economics journalist, investigative reporter, and author to this groundbreaking book on one of the greatest challenges faced in the modern women’s movement. 

Crittenden’s career and interests span a broad swath of economics, foreign policy, and gender issues.  She was an award-winning journalist, spending eight years at the New York Times as an economics and investigative reporter, and was a Pulitzer Prize nominee.  She has also reported for or contributed to many other major news outlets, including Newsweek, Fortune magazine, CBS News, The Nation, Barron’s, and Working Woman.  She was a visiting lecturer at MIT and Yale, and executive director of the Fund for Investigative Journalism.  She is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and served on the board of the International Center for Research on Women. 

In addition to The Price of Motherhood, Crittenden also authored several other notable books:   Sanctuary: A Story of American Conscience and the Law in Collision; Killing the Sacred Cows: Bold Ideas for a New Economy; and her most recent book, If You've Raised Kids, You Can Manage Anything.  The Price of Motherhood, published in 2001 and updated in 2011, garnered widespread media attention and was named one of the New York Times Notable Books of the Year, as was Sanctuary.  She has also been a commentator and speaker, and in recent years has worked to elect women to office in the state of Virginia.  Crittenden is married, has one son, and lives in Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia.

The Price of Motherhood took a strongly feminist and public policy-oriented approach to the plight of mothers in the U.S., dissecting the stereotypes and assumptions about women’s role that shaped the way mothers are treated in the workforce and society at large.  She provides data and historical perspective and offers a number of significant policy approaches that could elevate the contributions of mothers—and other caregivers—to their appropriate place in the American economy.  As she says, 

“Any woman who has devoted herself to raising children has experienced the hollow praise that only thinly conceals smug dismissal. In a culture that measures worth and achievement almost solely in terms of money, the intensive work of rearing responsible adults counts for little. One of the most intriguing questions in economic history is how this came to be; how mothers came to be excluded from the ranks of productive citizens. How did the demanding job of rearing a modern child come to be termed baby-sitting? When did caring for children become a 'labor of love,' smothered under a blanket of sentimentality that hides its economic importance?”

The effects of the coronavirus pandemic, which has decimated the economic security of families and has particularly pushed women out of the workforce as schools and child care shut down, could be foreseen as an almost inevitable outcome of an economy and society that did not consider “women’s work” of value.  Only as the pandemic progressed has the media at large, and policymakers, come to realize that there must be a fundamental transformation of the roles of women in our economy and society that will enable each individual to choose the roles they wish to play in the workforce and at home, and stop paying a penalty for having and raising children.

Panelist Bio

Senator Monique Limón was elected to the Senate in November 2020 and represents the 19th Senate district that includes all of Santa Barbara County and over half of Ventura County.

Born and raised in the 19th district, Monique has worked continuously to serve her community as an educator, leader, and an advocate for causes advancing the quality of life in her community.

Before the State Senate, Monique served as the Assemblymember for District 37th. Serving four years in the State Assembly, Monique Chaired the Banking and Finance Committee and was the Vice-Chair of the Legislative Women’s Caucus.

For Monique, education has always been a priority. A UC Berkeley graduate with a Masters degree from Columbia University, Monique served two terms on the Santa Barbara Unified School Board and as Assistant Director for the McNair Scholars Program at the University of California, Santa Barbara prior to serving in the Senate.

Monique has worked with countless local students at Santa Barbara City College and UCSB as an advisor and mentor to help them achieve their professional and academic goals through higher education.

Women’s issues are also a priority for Monique. As former Commissioner on the Santa Barbara County Commission for Women she helped connect private and public resources with women in the community. Monique has a passion for bringing community groups together and building strong coalitions among local nonprofit organizations and civic groups.

Monique’s roots go deep in the 19th district. Her extended network of family and friends include a range of small business owners and important leaders in the community. Her husband, Michael Medel works at Santa Barbara City College as Director of Admissions and Records and serves as President of the 19th District Agricultural Association. Monique and Michael were both raised in the area and currently live in Goleta.