Why Women Are Still Paying a Price for Motherhood

Women have countless stories of having to pay a price for motherhood. All-star athlete Serena Williams lost her number-1 ranking upon returning to professional tennis after delivering her daughter. Olympic swimmer and 2006 silver-medalist Sarah Storey said she faced a "minefield" of pressure to return quickly to training in order to avoid losing her funding. And The New York Times says college-educated career women choosing motherhood during childbearing years face a future reduction in income—a drop of about 55 percent compared to men once they reach age 45. What can we women do now for ourselves and each other to ease the cost of motherhood? Key topics of discussion include: – The gender pay gap/commentary on article from "The New York Times" (1:10) – Life as a working mother  (2:45) – Teenage pregnancy (3:42) – The price career women pay when choosing to become mothers (including commentary on Serena Williams losing her pregnancy) (5:53) – Why it's important not to judge other women who choose motherhood or a child-free life (9:57) – Motherhood means different things to different people (14:41) – How women can empower young girls, single women, and mothers by making kindness a priority (15:21) – What is tocophobia? How does it affect women's reproductive choices? (16:47) – The dangers of childbirth (17:59) – Roe V. Wade in the current political climate: a personal story (18:38) – The importance of making reproductive decisions that align with who you are (22:12) – What does motherhood look like for women who grew up without a mother? (23:40) – Mothering the world's children (27:42) Have comments or want to be on the show? Submit your written or audio (via link) comments to our "Contact Us" page at SheCompass, and/or leave us a review. We welcome your feedback!