By Wendy Doyle - Guest blog on The Huffington Post
During Women's History Month, there is no better way to celebrate the women who have come before us than to actually make progress towards equality.
That's why it's been an exciting few weeks for those of us who work to advance policy solutions, such as paid family leave, that economically empower women.
Women’s Foundation research shows that paid family leave policies strengthen families, reduce reliance on government assistance and support economic growth. It's good for women, their families and employers.
We shared our research with policymakers on both sides of the aisle in Missouri, including Missouri Governor Eric Greitens. Not long after, I was thrilled to receive a personal call from Gov. Greitens to express his gratitude for our research and public policy work.
Our research informed his decision to sign Executive Order 17-09 to provide 45,000 state employees with up to 6 weeks of paid parental leave at 100% wage replacement — effective immediately.