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The Pulse on Gender Equity in Seattle & Beyond

Change the system, not the women, argues Caroline Fredrickson

Gender Equality OverallMartha BurwellComment

Caroline Fredrickson’s grandmother came to the USA on a boat from Sweden over 100 years ago.  She came alone, with no money, no friends, and no English language skills.  She worked as a scullery maid, “scrubbing pots and pans until her fingers bled.”  She faced sexual harassment, no overtime pay or sick days, extremely long hours, and wage theft. 

Surely, we’ve come a long way since then.  Surely, our workers are treated better, and have more rights. 

Some do.  But definitely not all. 

Caroline Fredrickson is challenging the “Lean In” model.  Last week in downtown Seattle, I attended an American Constitution Society event where she was speaking, and was seated in a sea of lawyers, most of whom were women.

The event centered around Fredrickson’s book, “Under the Bus: How Working Women Are being Run Over,” in which she argues that though having a ‘self help book” (her words) such as Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, has some great ideas, it’s not nearly enough for most women. 

Lean In states that women should speak up for themselves, and that they can also ‘opt-out’ and stay at home if they desire.  But “most women can’t do either of those things” stated Fredrickson. “We need to have a different conversation,” because there are many people whose jobs fall outside of even the most basic labor laws. 

How is this possible?

1.  Labor laws hold a legacy of slavery

Many of our U.S. labor laws were created in the late 19th and early to mid 20th centuries.   Think of what congress looked like at that time.  Roosevelt was president during the passage of several significant labor bills, and had to negotiate with congress members who adamantly refused to give certain people (read: people of color) equal rights.  Congressional records show US representatives in the 1930s and 40s referring to African-American servants as “God’s gift to the South” that should not be taken away.  A clear legacy of slavery and white entitlement. So Roosevelt negotiated.  And a lot of people got left out of those laws, in particular service industry and farm workers.

2.  Women’s work was not considered “real work” when labor laws were created

Common sentiment in political leadership at the time (which still lingers today) did not consider jobs like housekeeping and childcare "real" work, mainly because white men did not typically have to do that work.  So again, that work was not regulated.  And we see that reflected today in the lack of humane working conditions for jobs such as childcare, housekeeping, and home care workers, in which the majority of workers are women, particularly women of color.

3.  There are significant loopholes for businesses to deny worker rights, such as exemptions for small businesses, part time workers, and contractors.

“In reality,” Fredrickson explained, “the basic safety nets that we think all people have access to are often denied, particularly to people of color and women, because they fall outside the legal definition of employee.” Overtime, protection from harassment, paid sick time, paid leave—in the U.S., these can be denied from a very large percentage of the workforce.  The kicker: they are denied legally, because the Fair Labor Standards Act has significant exemptions. For example, benefits can be denied if an employee works less than 30 hours per week, so a common technique is to have many employees at 29 hours per week. Contractors are also exempt, and the definition is hazy. For example, you may be familiar with the lawsuit earlier this year that Uber and Lyft drivers brought against their employers. And again, people of color and women are impacted the most, because they hold the majority of low-pay, low-status jobs.

4.  The American workplace has not caught up with the rest of the world in treating workers like humans

“The (American) workplace is structured for some kind of robot man…we never really grappled with the idea that people have outside responsibilities.”  In other words, we haven’t built the legal or business infrastructure to support real people.  The USA and Papua New Guinea are the only countries in the world without some kind of paid parental leave.  Our strongest law is the feeble Family and Medical Leave Act, with 12 weeks of unpaid leave for businesses larger than 50 employees.  In reality, 40% of workers in our country don’t even qualify.  Being unpaid, even if you do qualify, many people can’t afford to take it.  We’re still “treating workers like widgets,” as Fredrickson put it.  And, unsurprisingly, women are the ones who are impacted the most by this, as they still hold a majority of family responsibilities that require time off.

5. Lately, the most progress has been seen at the local level. 

The past several years, it’s been tough to get bills passed in congress.  “We used to dream big,” lamented Fredrickson.  In the mid-20th century, we *almost* passed laws that would provide free childcare to all (!), and better working conditions nation-wide, she explained. But now, action is happening at the local level.  Seattle is pretty awesome in having passed the $15 minimum wage.  Other cities and localities are taking note.  But conservative groups are also paying attention, and responding.

6.  The linchpin: Conservative groups are attempting to block progressive laws by
deciding on state judges.

This was the cumulative moment in Fredrickson’s speech.  This is where it all comes together. 

The Temple of Justice, Home to Washington's State Supreme Court by Harvey Barrison is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

The Temple of Justice, Home to Washington's State Supreme Court by Harvey Barrison
 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Imagine it’s time for your state to elect their judges.  Enter wealthy, conservative groups such as ALEC (the American Legislative Exchange Council), who want to make sure a judge that will rule more in their favor will be elected.  They throw huge amounts of money into the campaigns they support.  They run smear ads on judges they don’t support.  More progressive judges begin to rule more conservatively, so that they won’t be the target of those ads, and so that they can be elected again.  The elections are held, and it’s clear that money does influence the outcome. 

Those judges then help determine laws that decide the fate of the entire state.  And the most dangerous thing of all—they may pass “preemptive laws” which essentially mandate that local city governments can’t make more progressive laws than the state law.  If Washington State had had a preemptive law on minimum wage, Seattle would never have been able to pass the historical $15 bill, that is now affecting cities worldwide. That’s not to say that progressive interest groups don’t also put money into elections, but recent events have shown that conservative groups are willing to spend huge amounts, and it’s working. 

7. The solution is hazy

I thoroughly enjoyed Fredrickson’s analysis of the legal state of laws that impact workers.  However, I was left unclear of what a solution would be.  Does it mean changing how we elect state judges?  Or refocusing on national laws?  Or something else altogether? I’m not sure.  I look forward to reading the book and I hope that there are also solution ideas for this urgent problem. 

Homeless as a womxn: Life for Seattle's most vulnerable

It's All ConnectedMartha BurwellComment

Previously, we explored the causes of homelessness and how they can differ by gender.  But once someone is homeless, what is it like day to day? Is there a difference based on gender?  How can Seattle improve our support and does that support need to be tailored according to gender?

I was lucky enough to be able to interview Marty, the Executive Director of Mary’s Place, a collection of womxn and family shelters in Seattle, to discuss some of these questions.

Mary’s Place is actually several places, with 6 overnight shelters, and one day center that provides services from 7am to 5pm.  Homeless shelters in Seattle often close at 6am, when everyone must leave.  Some people are able to work, but others have no safe place to go, and no access to food or services.  That’s where Mary’s Place Day Center comes in, and that’s where I met Marty for the interview.

Arriving at the center, Marty explained that every aspect of the center has been designed to serve the specific needs homeless womxn and families tend to have. When you walk in through the front doors, the first thing you see is the reception desk with rows of clear plastic containers, filled with essential items like soap, hairbrushes, pads and tampons. 

These simple supplies are the first step towards restoring dignity and self-esteem, because simply having your basic hygiene needs met makes a huge difference.  A hot shower.  Clean clothes.  A hair dryer. And of course, a restroom

One great thing that Seattle has done this summer is pass a bill requiring all single-stall restrooms in the city to be labeled as “all gender.” This seems small, but for transgender people, it’s vital.  It reduces the risk of violence for entering the “wrong” bathroom, and simply helps them feel more comfortable and welcome.  “I think that’s wonderful,” Marty said, “but when you look at the whole idea of making public bathrooms accessible to people, when you’re homeless you can’t even go into a bathroom unless you get a cup of coffee at an establishment.  It’s horrible.  And then to have to wet your pants because somebody won’t let you in. We can do better.”

Bathrooms are essential for all people, but womxn have an extra need for them, as well as for access to pads and tampons (which are, by the way, taxed as a luxury item in most states). On average, a woman is on her period about 25% of the time, from about when she turns 12 until she’s 50.  That’s a lot of your life.  As Marty put it, “if you can imagine being soaked in your menstrual flow in your pants, and you’ve been out there all night just waiting and waiting for the doors to open to get a pad, a new pair of underwear, some clothing and a shower, how much better you’d feel.”

The containers at the reception desk are transparent—and this is intentional, so that womxn can ask for what they need.  “We really believe that helping a woman ask for her needs to be met is probably the most beautiful, most critical piece of helping heal.  If you can get your basic needs met right at the beginning, then there’s no limit to what you may ask for” Marty explained, smiling.   “You know? You may ask for a hug, you may ask for somebody to go with you because you have a lump in your breast and you need to go for an appointment, you may then ask somebody to help you with housing, or to help you move out of a violent situation.  If you can ask, and then keep asking, it’s pretty amazing what a woman can do if she starts to feel better about herself and who she is.

Also at the reception desk are two womxn ready to help you get your immediate needs met.  They help you get oriented to the space. You can sign up for a shower.  You can look forward to a hot meal.  In fact, you can even help make the meal. 

This is part of a clever way that Mary’s Place helps restore self-esteem and worth: having those staying at the center contribute to the running of the center itself.  On the wall in the dining room is a large chart, where you can sign up for small chores, such as cleaning up after breakfast or helping with laundry.  After doing the chore, you’ll get a voucher.  These vouchers function as money in “Bon Mary’s,” their ‘store’ where you can pick out something special for yourself.  Maybe a nice pair of shoes, or a new jacket.  Having those little extras no doubt help to boost your confidence, but, the real benefits of this system are not material: they are the feeling of contentment that you derive from contributing to the community; to be able to give something back; to be part of a team. 

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Mary’s Place makes hundreds of hot meals a day.  In the day center, Chef Lauren makes the magic happen.  She was preparing for lunch when I met her, her hands deftly moving as she spoke, explaining to me how they used to only have a regular household-sized kitchen to prepare hundreds of meals.  Now, she beamed, they have a large commercial kitchen.

After the kitchen, we walked to the family and kids room, where children were working on an arts and crafts project.  But this is not just a place for entertainment, explained Marty.  It’s also a place to get ready for school.  Recently, Mary’s Place had a “back to school” drive to collect backpacks, school supplies, and shoes.  They made sure to have enough shoes so that the kids could each pick out their own pair for their first day back.  

Attached to this room was a resting room, with two beds. The resting room is a quiet, safe place for womxn who are recovering from an illness.  Recently, they’ve had womxn rest here who were undergoing chemotherapy. 

Womxn who have suffered trauma can also rest in this room.

Sleeping outside wouldn’t be pleasant for anyone. “People have that impression that in summertime it’s ok to be outside,” explained Marty.  “But for a homeless woman that’s not ok, they’re vulnerable all year, all the time.  Rape and trauma are real, and they happen to homeless womxn.”  Children and transgender people are also at increased risk, compared to men.  That’s not to say that men aren’t at danger while homeless, of course they are, but it’s a different level of risk. 

When someone is homeless, though, it doesn’t always mean that they are outside.  They may be sleeping in their car, or staying in someone’s living room.  But that isn’t easy either.  “For a woman, it’s common to ask for sex as payment for sleeping inside, for couchsurfing, that you wouldn’t necessarily ask a guy.”

Marty’s voice grew grave and quiet.  I could sense that the trauma of the womxn and children she helps through Mary’s Place have an effect on her.  This is the strength and the weakness of those who work in public service.  You care so much, which draws you to do this vital work.  But caring so much means that each person’s story pulls at your heart.  You cannot look away. 

Marty went on. “Any given day we probably see 1 or 2 womxn that have been raped the night before, or thrown out of a car.  It’s horrific.  You don’t get over it. You just don’t get over it.  You have to learn how to cope with it.”  It’s unpleasant to imagine, but it’s a reality that we have in Seattle, when we don’t have enough safe shelters, enough affordable housing.

“Over 80% of our womxn (at Mary’s Place) were sexually abused as a child or as an adult,” explained Marty.  “So it just goes to show you, you have to be able to find a way to cope with it, and it doesn’t go away.   If you don’t talk about it and you try and push it under the rug or stuff it in your backpack, it’s going to leak out into the rest of your life, it’s going to hold you captive.”

This trauma takes a major toll on self-esteem, and having a reasonable level of self-esteem is absolutely critical to getting out of homelessness.  If you can find a way to believe in yourself, to feel worthy, you can imagine yourself succeeding. 

Some of the Mary's Place staff, interns, and womxn utilizing the day center.

Some of the Mary's Place staff, interns, and womxn utilizing the day center.

Next, Marty showed me the laundry room, where womxn can do their own laundry or help with the house laundry.  We saw the donation center, where boxes and boxes of donated clothes and items go out as fast as they come in.  The logistics of it, I marveled, must be incredible.  At this, Marty smiled.  They have interns do this work, she explained.  Some of the interns are formerly homeless womxn who help with the running of the day center, and learn to be part of the team, learn how a nonprofit works.

We finished our tour back at the reception desk, where there was a stack of bright orange papers with this week’s schedule printed on it.  There was a mix of services and fun activities, such as outings to a park, classes to learn about housing, Moms’ community meeting, family yoga, health check-ups, and haircuts. Many of these activities are volunteer-driven, with professionals offering their skills or leading activities.  It’s a community effort, and one that is crucial to the lives of the womxn and families that use this space. 

Mary’s Place is a place of healing.  A place of community.  A place to restore dignity.  But to meet Seattle’s need for shelters and care, we’d need dozens of Mary’s Places.  August was “a horrendous month of turnaways, at least 20 families a day that we have no where to send,” Marty lamented when I interviewed her in early September.  We need so much more. 

What’s Seattle’s large-scale plan to improve homelessness?  Where are we now city-wide? 

Check back for our third and final post on homelessness and gender coming soon.


Are you experiencing homelessness? Mary’s Place Day Center welcomes everyone, including transgender and genderqueer individuals. The overnight shelter is for families with children and pregnant people. If you’re looking for shelter, call 206-245-1026. Visit the Mary’s Place website for more information.


Note:  For the sake of being concise, this article does not discuss other major factors of homelessness in Seattle, such as race.  EqualiSea does care deeply about these factors, and recognizes that “while people of color comprise approximately 27 percent of the general population in King County, they represent 57 percent of people who are homeless.”  Please see our recent articles on gender and race: Part 1, and Part 2.

To take part in the conversation, follow me on Twitter @EqualiSea, or sign up for blog notifications in the sidebar!

The glass ceiling and a roof to call her own: How gender affects the causes of homelessness in Seattle

It's All ConnectedMartha BurwellComment

Earlier this year, a homeless woman stopped a friend to ask for a tampon.  Realizing for the first time how not having hygiene products is another setback for homeless women, my friend held a tampon drive and donated boxes of those critical supplies to shelters in Seattle.  

We chatted afterwards, wondering, what is it like to be homeless and a woman?  How does gender affect the causes of homelessness? And what can we do to help?

The Evolution of the Word 'Partner'

Gender Equality OverallMartha Burwell3 Comments

Language is fascinating.  If ever you’ve sat with a dictionary in your hand and thought that the language on those pages was defined, static, unmalleable, you would be mistaken. Wicked, sick, twisted: Just a couple of decades ago each of these words would have solely negative connotations; nowadays these words are commonly used to describe something positive.

And so too the language that we use to define our relationships is changing