From the seventeen conducted listening sessions from the Hoosier Women Speak initiative, one of the top areas of concern for participants was work-related issues and caregiving. Participants noted a general lack of support for caregiver roles, including adequate paid maternity and paternity leave. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau awarded the Indiana Commission for Women (ICW) a grant to do a feasibility study on paid family leave for Indiana in 2016. The grant provided the funding to conduct further studies on the public’s receptiveness to paid family leave. On Wednesday, September 26, 2018, ICW released the study. The finalized three-part research consisted of a cost-benefit model, survey collections, and qualitative responses. The accumulation of the research identified Hoosiers’ perceptions on paid maternity and paternity leave and paid leave for caregivers of ill and aging family members. To view the full study, click the following links below.
"Work like a man, but be home like a mother"
"Communities have to stop looking at [caregiving] as a women's issue. It is a family issue. It is an economic issue. It is a community issue."
- Participant's responses