Statement Of Need:
Ann Crittenden in The Price of Motherhood: Why the most important job in the world is still the least valued makes some stunning claims about the outlook for mothers in modern society.  For example, the single biggest risk factor for a woman to live in poverty in old age is if she has had a child.

Motherhood can be isolating. It has long been accepted that with the territory of motherhood comes self-sacrifice and self-depletion. If left unchecked many times this can even leave women in a state of depression.
Many studies have shown us that young girls ideas are frequently discounted by her peers and teachers, and in response, she stifles her creativity.

Women who are mothers are still being told they have FEW options for personal development, as it will risk the wellbeing of their children.

Culturally speaking, The New York State Council on the Arts Theatre Program conducted a survey of the 2,000 plays being presented in the U.S. in 2001-2002, and found that only 17% had women writers and only 16% had women directors.

Since 1998, the percentage of women working as directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers, and editors on the top 250 domestic grossing films declined by 2 percentage points, to 15% in 2007.  Women accounted for only 6% of directors in 2007.

The 3rd Annual Annenberg Public Policy Center Analysis of Women Leaders in Communication Companies shows that women still comprise just 15% of executive leaders and just 12% of board members in top communications companies.

Women's voices are woefully underrepresented in the pages of the New York Times Book Review, the most powerful publication in the world of book publishing. Of 807 books reviewed, only 28% were authored by women. Of the 775 reviews, only 34% were by women reviewers.

During the 2004-05 concert season, works by women accounted for only one percent of all pieces performed by the 300 or so member orchestras who responded to the repertory survey of the American Symphony Orchestra. These statistics become even more bleak when women become mothers.