Women create and raise the next generation of human beings the future workers, taxpayers, innovators, and leaders that sustain every nation.

Yet mothers are expected to carry the physical, emotional, and financial burden of pregnancy and child-rearing largely alone.

Pregnancy involves major medical risk, death, permanent side effects , physical sacrifice, lost income opportunities, and lifelong caregiving responsibilities. Despite this, motherhood remains one of the most economically penalized roles in society.

Imagine telling a professional athlete like Michael Jordan that basketball is one of the most important activities in the world but he must pay to play and every championship is a fine.

That is essentially how society treats motherhood. The continuation of civilization depends on women giving birth and raising children, yet mothers often experience financial hardship as a result of performing this essential labor. Child-rearing is not only a private responsibility it is a public good that benefits society as a whole.

For this reason, we call on lawmakers to recognize motherhood as essential labor and implement policies that support women who bring the next generation into the world.

We call for the creation of a Motherhood Support Program including:

• A childbirth recovery payment to help offset medical and physical costs $5,000-10,000 per birth.

• A monthly child-raising stipend during the early development years based on cost of living in that state.

• Retirement & Pension credit for caregiving years so mothers are not penalized financially later in life

• Expanded family tax credits for parents raising children.

These policies are already implemented in several countries that recognize the economic value of families.

Society benefits from children therefore society should share in the responsibility of supporting the women who bring them into the world.

It is time to recognize motherhood for what it truly is: Essential labor that deserves economic recognition and support.