How America Fails New Parents — and Their Babies | Jessica Shortall | TED Talks

譯者: Harry Chen 審譯者: Helen Mak

What does a working mother look like?

一位職場媽媽是怎樣的一幅光景呢？

If you ask the Internet, this is what you'll be told.

要是你在網路上查詢的話，

這就是它會讓你知道的東西。

Never mind that this is what you'll actually produce

儘管實際上這是你會做出來的玩意兒－

if you attempt to work at a computer with a baby on your lap.

要是你嘗試用電腦工作、

在大腿上帶個小寶貝的話。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But no, this isn't a working mother.

不過並非如此！這個不是職場媽媽！

You'll notice a theme in these photos. We'll look at a lot of them.

我們將會看到成堆的照片，

在這些照片裡面你會發現到一個主題，

That theme is amazing natural lighting,

那個主題就是神奇的自然打光，

which, as we all know,

那如同你我都知道的，

is the hallmark of every American workplace.

此乃美國各個工作場所的金字招牌。

There are thousands of images like these.

數以千張像這些的照片就在那裡，

Just put the term "working mother" into any Google image search engine,

只要把「職場媽媽」這個詞兒

放進任何 Google 圖像搜尋引擎、

stock photo site.

圖庫網站，

They're all over the Internet,

它們全都在網際網路上，

they're topping blog posts and news pieces,

它們就在序列最為上方的部落格貼文

和新聞文章裡；

and I've become kind of obsessed with them and the lie that they tell us

而我早已有點著迷於它們

以及它們向我們訴說的謊言、

and the comfort that they give us,

還有它們帶給我們自在感－

that when it comes to new working motherhood in America,

當講到了美國的新一代職場慈母時

everything's fine.

每件事都是美好的。

But it's not fine.

但事實一點都不是如此，

As a country, we are sending millions of women back to work

以一個國家來說我們每年不斷地把，

數百萬名產後婦女送回去工作，

every year, incredibly and kind of horrifically soon

不可思議和有點驚人的快。

after they give birth.

That's a moral problem

這是個良知的難題，

but today I'm also going to tell you why it's an economic problem.

不過今天我打算跟你們講

為什麼它是個經濟上的難題。

I got so annoyed and obsessed with the unreality of these images,

這些圖像的不切實際令我變得

變得惱火以及困擾不已，

which look nothing like my life,

它們看起來一點都不像我的日子！

that I recently decided to shoot and star in a parody series of stock photos

我最近打定主意拍攝以及領銜主演

一系列滑稽模仿的圖庫，

that I hoped the world would start to use

我希望全世界會開始使用，

just showing the really awkward reality of going back to work

我只想要呈現出

當嬰兒食物來源被設定在你自己身上時

when your baby's food source is attached to your body.

卻要回到工作崗位的窘境，

I'm just going to show you two of them.

我正要讓你們來看其中兩個源頭。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Nothing says "Give that girl a promotion" like leaking breast milk

好比在簡報的時候 奶水正滲出了你的洋裝，

through your dress during a presentation.

不會有人說給這個小妞升個職吧！

You'll notice that there's no baby in this photo,

你會發現沒有嬰兒在這張照片裡，

because that's not how this works,

因為在這裡是行不通的－

not for most working mothers.

對大多數的職場媽媽來說此路不通。

Did you know, and this will ruin your day,

你知道，這會搞砸你的日子，

that every time a toilet is flushed, its contents are aerosolized

每一回馬桶冲完水

其內容物氣味會瀰漫繚繞

and they'll stay airborne for hours?

而且會留在空氣中數個小時嗎？

And yet, for many new working mothers,

儘管如此對許多新手職場媽媽們來說

this is the only place during the day that they can find to make food

這是她們在白天所能找到唯一的地方

為她們的剛出生的小寶貝製作食物。

for their newborn babies.

I put these things, a whole dozen of them, into the world.

我把整整十二張這些東西擺上檯面，

I wanted to make a point.

我想要點出個道理來；

I didn't know what I was also doing was opening a door,

我不曉得我同時也正開啟了一扇門，

because now, total strangers from all walks of life

因為如今來自社會各階層 全然陌生的人

write to me all the time

不時寫信給我，

just to tell me what it's like for them to go back to work

就只是要告訴我

對她們來說 生了小孩的幾天內或幾星期內

within days or weeks of having a baby.

回去工作時是怎樣一幅光景，

I'm going to share 10 of their stories with you today.

今天我要與你們分享 十個她們的故事，

They are totally real, some of them are very raw,

他們全然是真人實事，

有些故事還非常辛酸，

and not one of them looks anything like this.

沒一個有一丁點像這幅圖像的地方。

Here's the first.

這是第一個：

"I was an active duty service member at a federal prison.

「我以前是個在聯邦監獄

全職的第一線工作人員，

I returned to work after the maximum allowed eight weeks for my C-section.

在剖腹生產所容許的

最長八個禮拜休假後復職，

A male coworker was annoyed that I had been out on 'vacation,'

一名男同事氣惱我一直在外「渡假」，

so he intentionally opened the door on me while I was pumping breast milk

所以當我在擠取母乳時 他故意打開門，

and stood in the doorway with inmates in the hallway."

他站在門口而且門廊邊還帶著囚犯。」

Most of the stories that these women, total strangers, send to me now,

現在寄來給我的這些婦女們

全然是陌生人，

are not actually even about breastfeeding.

大多數故事實際上甚至和哺乳沒關係。

A woman wrote to me to say,

寫信給我的一名婦女寫道：

"I gave birth to twins and went back to work after seven unpaid weeks.

「我生下一對雙胞胎，

在七個星期的無薪假後復職；

Emotionally, I was a wreck.

情感上我是個受損嚴重的人，

Physically, I had a severe hemorrhage during labor, and major tearing,

身理上

我在勞動時有過嚴重的大出血

以及重大的撕裂傷；

so I could barely get up, sit or walk.

所以我只能勉強起身、坐下或是走動。

My employer told me I wasn't allowed to use my available vacation days

我雇主告訴我不準用掉 手邊可用的假休

because it was budget season."

因為這是資金緊張的一季」。

I've come to believe that we can't look situations like these in the eye

我開始相信我們的眼裡 容不下這些狀況，

because then we'd be horrified,

因為接著我們將會感到震驚；

and if we get horrified then we have to do something about it.

要是我們感到震驚了，

我們勢必得有所作為！

So we choose to look at, and believe, this image.

所以我們選擇看著以及相信這張照片，

I don't really know what's going on in this picture,

我真的不清楚這張照片後頭

即將上演些什麼事情，

because I find it weird and slightly creepy.

因為我發現它不自然

甚至有點令人起雞皮疙瘩。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Like, what is she doing?

比方說她正在做什麼事呢？

But I know what it tells us.

不過我知道它要告知我們何事－

It tells us that everything's fine.

它告訴我們一切都好到不行，

This working mother, all working mothers and all of their babies, are fine.

這位職場媽媽、所有的職場媽媽

以及她們的小寶貝都好到不行，

There's nothing to see here.

一點麻煩都沒有。

And anyway, women have made a choice,

總之婦女同胞們已經做了「選擇」，

so none of it's even our problem.

所以完全不是我們的問題。

I want to break this choice thing down into two parts.

我要把這個「選擇」拆成兩個部份，

The first choice says that women have chosen to work.

首先它說婦女已「選擇」了工作；

So, that's not true.

那不是真的！

Today in America, women make up 47 percent of the workforce,

今天在美國婦女構成 47％的勞動力，

and in 40 percent of American households

以及美國 40％的家庭裡

a woman is the sole or primary breadwinner.

婦女是唯一或主要的養家者；

Our paid work is a part, a huge part, of the engine of this economy,

我們的有支薪工作是經濟引擎裡

極大的一部份，

and it is essential for the engines of our families.

且對我們家庭動力來說 是不可或缺的，

On a national level, our paid work is not optional.

以國家的層次來看－

我們的有支薪工作不是任君挑選的。

Choice number two says that women are choosing to have babies,

第二個部份說婦女「選擇」要生小孩，

so women alone should bear the consequences of those choices.

所以婦女應該獨自承受這些選擇的下場！

You know, that's one of those things

那就是別人提起時

that when you hear it in passing, can sound correct.

聽到的那些東西其中的一項，

聽起來也沒錯呀。

I didn't make you have a baby.

「不是我讓你生小孩的！」、

I certainly wasn't there when that happened.

「這完全不關我的事啊！」。

But that stance ignores a fundamental truth,

但是這些立論忽視了基本的事實－

which is that our procreation on a national scale is not optional.

我們的繁衍

在國家的水準上 是沒有選擇空間的。

The babies that women, many of them working women, are having today,

婦女－許多是職場婦女－

今天不斷生育的小寶貝們

will one day fill our workforce, protect our shores,

有天將填補我們的勞動力、

守護我們的海岸線、

make up our tax base.

構成我們的稅基；

Our procreation on a national scale is not optional.

我們的繁衍在國家層面上

是沒有選擇空間的。

These aren't choices.

這些並不是選擇！

We need women to work. We need working women to have babies.

我們要有婦女工作、

我們要有職場婦女生孩子；

So we should make doing those things at the same time

所以我們應該讓同時間做這兩碼子事

at least palatable, right?

至少講得通對吧？

OK, this is pop quiz time:

現在現場抽問時間：

what percentage of working women in America do you think

「在美國有多少百分比的職場婦女

have no access to paid maternity leave?

你認為無法獲取帶薪的育嬰假？」

88 percent.

88％！

88 percent of working mothers will not get one minute of paid leave

88％的職場婦女生完孩子以後

after they have a baby.

將連 1 分鐘的帶薪假也拿不到。

So now you're thinking about unpaid leave.

所以現在你正想著無薪假吧！

It exists in America. It's called FMLA. It does not work.

它存在於美國，叫「家庭與醫療假法」（FMLA）

它並不管用！

Because of the way it's structured, all kinds of exceptions,

因為它被成立出來的方式，所有的排除

half of new mothers are ineligible for it.

新手媽媽們半數是不符資格的！

Here's what that looks like.

這就是其情景：

"We adopted our son.

「我們領養了兒子，

When I got the call, the day he was born, I had to take off work.

當我在他誕生的那天接到電話

我就得放下工作，

I had not been there long enough to qualify for FMLA,

我的年資尚未長到

可適用家庭與醫療假法，

so I wasn't eligible for unpaid leave.

所以無薪假沒我的份。

When I took time off to meet my newborn son,

當我離開崗位去見剛出世的兒子時

I lost my job."

我搞丟了工作」。

These corporate stock photos hide another reality, another layer.

這些私人企業老套的照片 隱藏著現實，

從另一個層面。

Of those who do have access to just that unpaid leave,

那些只是可以取得無薪假的人，

most women can't afford to take much of it at all.

大多數根本一點也消受不起請太多假。

A nurse told me, "I didn't qualify for short-term disability

一位護士跟我說道：

「因為我的懷孕被認定是既存狀態，

because my pregnancy was considered a preexisting condition.

我不符合短期無力工作的資格；

We used up all of our tax returns and half of our savings

我們在我六個星期無薪假的期間

during my six unpaid weeks.

用上全部的退稅金和半數的積蓄，

We just couldn't manage any longer.

我們就是做不到再請多一點假。

Physically it was hard, but emotionally it was worse.

身理上很不好受但是情感面更糟，

I struggled for months being away from my son."

不在兒子身邊讓我煎熬了好幾個月」。

So this decision to go back to work so early,

所以如此之早就回去工作的這個決定

it's a rational economic decision driven by family finances,

是受家庭財務所驅使的合理經濟決定；

but it's often physically horrific

不過身理上經常是很駭人聽聞的，

because putting a human into the world is messy.

因為生出小孩來是吃力不討好的事。

A waitress told me,

一位女服務生告訴我：

"With my first baby, I was back at work five weeks postpartum.

「有了我的第一個小寶貝時

產後五週我就回去工作了；

With my second, I had to have major surgery after giving birth,

有第二個小寶貝時

我必須做個大手術，

so I waited until six weeks to go back.

所以我直到六週後才回去工作。

I had third degree tears."

我當時有三度會陰撕裂傷。」

23 percent of new working mothers in America

在美國 23％的新手職場媽媽

will be back on the job within two weeks of giving birth.

將會在產後兩個禮拜內復職！

"I worked as a bartender and cook, average of 75 hours a week while pregnant.

「身為一位酒侍以及廚師，

懷孕時我一週平均工作 75 個小時，

I had to return to work before my baby was a month old,

在我的小孩滿月前我就得回去工作－

working 60 hours a week.

一週 60 個小時；

One of my coworkers was only able to afford 10 days off with her baby."

我有一位同事只花得起

10 天的假休陪孩子。」

Of course, this isn't just a scenario with economic and physical implications.

當然這現象不只有著經濟 和身理影響，

Childbirth is, and always will be, an enormous psychological event.

生小孩一直都會是重大的心理事件。

A teacher told me,

一位老師告訴我：

"I returned to work eight weeks after my son was born.

「我兒子出生八週後我就復職了，

I already suffer from anxiety,

我已經受焦慮所苦，

but the panic attacks I had prior to returning to work were unbearable."

但是早在我回去工作之前

侵襲我的驚慌是難以忍受的」。

Statistically speaking,

統計上而言

the shorter a woman's leave after having a baby,

婦女生了小孩以後的產休越短

the more likely she will be to suffer from postpartum mood disorders

她越有可能會遭受產後情緒異常－

like depression and anxiety,

諸如憂鬱以及焦慮；

and among many potential consequences of those disorders,

那些異常眾多的潛在影響裡

suicide is the second most common cause of death

自殺是產後第一年

in a woman's first year postpartum.

婦女們最常見的第二死因。

Heads up that this next story --

注意接下來這個故事－

I've never met this woman, but I find it hard to get through.

我不曾見過這個女人，

但是我知道該情形很難撐過去。

"I feel tremendous grief and rage that I lost an essential,

「我感到無比的痛心以及氣憤－

我失去了伴著兒子的不可或缺、

irreplaceable and formative time with my son.

無可取代的發育時期，

Labor and delivery left me feeling absolutely broken.

勞動和生產讓我感覺百分百報銷了。

For months, all I remember is the screaming: colic, they said.

幾個月來我只記得嬰兒的哭鬧－

他們說是腸絞痛；

On the inside, I was drowning.

內心的我呼吸不過來了，

Every morning, I asked myself how much longer I could do it.

每天早上我問自己我還能夠做多久呢？

I was allowed to bring my baby to work.

我被允許帶著我的小寶貝上班，

I closed my office door while I rocked and shushed

當我在搖哄、安撫以及乞求他停止哭鬧時

and begged him to stop screaming so I wouldn't get in trouble.

我關上了我辦公室的門，以避免麻煩。

I hid behind that office door every damn day

該死的每一天當他哭喊時

and cried while he screamed.

我躲在辦公室的門後以及哭泣、

I cried in the bathroom while I washed out the pump equipment.

當我清洗集乳器時我在洗手間哭泣；

Every day, I cried all the way to work and all the way home again.

每一天我一路哭著去上班、

而且再次一路哭著回家！

I promised my boss that the work I didn't get done during the day,

我跟老闆保證我白天沒做完的工作

I'd make up at night from home.

我在晚上時會在家裡彌補過來，

I thought, there's just something wrong with me that I can't swing this."

我猜我無法做到只是我自己有問題」。

So those are the mothers.

所以這些就是媽媽們的情形，

What of the babies?

那小寶貝們又如何呢？

As a country, do we care about the millions of babies

以一個國家而言我們關心每年職場媽媽

born every year to working mothers?

所生出來的數百萬名小寶貝們嗎？

I say we don't,

我想我們並沒有的，

not until they're of working and tax-paying and military-serving age.

除非等到他們到工作、

繳稅、從軍的年紀。

We tell them we'll see them in 18 years,

我們跟他們說十八年後再見，

and getting there is kind of on them.

而要到那時候像是他們自己的事了！

One of the reasons I know this is that babies whose mothers

其中一個我所知道的原因

是那些能有十二個或是更多禮拜時間

have 12 or more weeks at home with them

在家陪小寶貝的媽媽們

are more likely to get their vaccinations and their well checks in their first year,

是更有可能在寶貝第一年的人生

提供疫苗注射以及良好的照顧，

so those babies are more protected from deadly and disabling diseases.

所以那些小寶貝們是更受到保護

免於致命和失能的疾病，

But those things are hidden behind images like this.

但事情都被像這樣的 景象給隱藏住了。

America has a message for new mothers who work and for their babies.

美國要給在上班的新手媽媽

和他們的小寶貝們一個訊息：

Whatever time you get together, you should be grateful for it,

不管是在什麼時候你們聚首了

你們應該為此感恩，

and you're an inconvenience

而你們對經濟 還有雇主來說是種拖累。

to the economy and to your employers.

That narrative of gratitude runs through a lot of the stories I hear.

我所聽到的很多故事穿插了感激之情

A woman told me,

一名婦女告訴我：

"I went back at eight weeks after my C-section

「我在剖腹生產八週後復職，

because my husband was out of work.

因為我老公失業了！

Without me, my daughter had failure to thrive.

少了我我女兒就活不下去了－

She wouldn't take a bottle.

她一瓶奶水也不會喝，

She started losing weight.

她開始不斷瘦下來。

Thankfully, my manager was very understanding.

好在我的經理非常諒解我，

He let my mom bring my baby,

他讓我母親帶來我的小寶貝，

who was on oxygen and a monitor,

她帶著氧氣罩和監測器，

four times a shift so I could nurse her."

一輪工時裡可有四次機會，

讓我可以護理她。」

There's a little club of countries in the world

世界上有著一小團體的國家

that offer no national paid leave to new mothers.

沒有給新手媽媽們國有帶薪假，

Care to guess who they are?

用心猜一下是哪些國家呢？

The first eight make up eight million in total population.

前八名構成八百萬的總人口數－

They are Papua New Guinea, Suriname and the tiny island nations

有著巴布紐幾內亞、蘇利南、

以及小島島國密克羅尼西亞、

of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau and Tonga.

馬紹爾、諾魯、紐埃、帛琉和東加，

Number nine is the United States of America,

第九名則是美國－

with 320 million people.

有著三億兩千萬的人口。

Oh, that's it.

噢！就這樣了！

That's the end of the list.

那就是這份名單最後的部份。

Every other economy on the planet

地球上每一個其他的經濟體

has found a way to make some level of national paid leave work

都幫為國家之長久做出貢獻的這些人

for the people doing the work of the future of those countries,

找到方法訂出某些程度的國有帶薪假。

but we say, "We couldn't possibly do that."

而我們卻是說： 「我們沒有可能做到、

We say that the market will solve this problem,

經濟市場將會解決這個問題」，

and then we cheer when corporations offer even more paid leave to the women

後來當公司給出更多帶薪假給早已是

who are already the highest-educated and highest-paid among us.

我們裡面最高學歷、薪水的婦女時

我們大聲叫好；

Remember that 88 percent?

還記得 88 ％嗎？

Those middle- and low-income women are not going to participate in that.

那些中、低所得婦女將分不到一杯羹。

We know that there are staggering economic, financial, physical

我們知道這辦法有 驚人的經濟、財務、

人身上、情感上的成本，

and emotional costs to this approach.

We have decided -- decided, not an accident,

我們已經決定好而不是意外－

to pass these costs directly on to working mothers and their babies.

把這些成本都直接過讓給

職場媽媽以及她們的小寶貝們，

We know the price tag is higher for low-income women,

我們知道對低所得婦女來說

代價是更加高昂的，

therefore disproportionately for women of color.

因此對有膚色的婦女來說更是有失公允，

We pass them on anyway.

總之我們過讓了這些成本！

All of this is to America's shame.

這所有一切變成美國丟臉的事情，

But it's also to America's risk.

不過也成了美國的隱憂；

Because what would happen

又會發生什麼事呢－

if all of these individual so-called choices to have babies

要是這些俗稱「選擇有孩子的人」

started to turn into individual choices not to have babies.

開始全都變成選擇不要有孩子的人。

One woman told me,

一名婦女告訴我：

"New motherhood is hard. It shouldn't be traumatic.

「現代慈母是苦差事，

這不應該是坐立難安的。

When we talk about expanding our family now,

當我們現在談到增添家庭成員時，

we focus on how much time I would have to care for myself and a new baby.

我們關注於我將會有多少時間

來照顧自己以及一個新生兒，

If we were to have to do it again the same way as with our first,

要是我們得如同我們有第一個

小寶貝時再來一遍那樣做的話，

we might stick with one kid."

我們有了一個孩子可能就打住了」。

The birthrate needed in America to keep the population stable

在美國維持人口穩定所需要的出生率

is 2.1 live births per woman.

是每個婦女生 2.1 個活嬰，

In America today, we are at 1.86.

今天美國我們的出生率是 1.86；

We need women to have babies,

我們需要婦女生孩子，

and we are actively disincentivizing working women from doing that.

而我們實際上削弱職業婦女

去做這件事情的動機。

What would happen to work force, to innovation, to GDP,

對勞動力、創新、

GDP將會產生什麼變化呢？

if one by one, the working mothers of this country were to decide

要是這個國家的職業婦女

一個接著一個打定主意

that they can't bear to do this thing more than once?

她們禁不起生孩子多於一回呢？

I'm here today with only one idea worth spreading,

我今天在這裡只有一個

值得推廣出去的概念，

and you've guessed what it is.

而且你也已經猜到是什麼了。

It is long since time for the most powerful country on Earth

對地球上最強大的國家來說早該是時候

to offer national paid leave

來提供國有帶薪假

to the people doing the work of the future of this country

給為了國家的將來做事情的人、

and to the babies who represent that future.

以及給代表那個將來的小寶貝們。

Childbirth is a public good.

生孩子是一種公共利益，

This leave should be state-subsidized.

這種假休應該是被國家所補助，

It should have no exceptions for small businesses,

這對小企業、雇用年限、

length of employment or entrepreneurs.

企業家來說應該沒有例外，

It should be able to be shared between partners.

它在伴侶之間應該能夠互享！

I've talked today a lot about mothers,

今天我已經講了很多關於媽媽的事了，

but co-parents matter on so many levels.

不過在許多程度上，共同撫養也重要。

Not one more woman should have to go back to work

不該再有一名婦女當她正在顛跛

while she is hobbling and bleeding.

和失血時得回去工作、

Not one more family should have to drain their savings account

不該再有一個家庭得要榨乾其存款帳戶

to buy a few days of rest and recovery and bonding.

來買到短短幾天的休息、恢復和癒合、

Not one more fragile infant

不該再有一個脆弱的嬰兒

should have to go directly from the incubator to day care

得要從保溫箱直接來到平日照護病房－

because his parents have used up all of their meager time

因為他的雙親已經用上所有

他們不多的時間，

sitting in the NICU.

一直坐在新生兒加護病房裡面、

Not one more working family should be told that the collision

不該再有做工家庭 被告知與工作的衝突－

of their work, their needed work and their needed parenthood,

他們需要做的工作、

他們需要扮演的父母天職

is their problem alone.

是他們自身個人的難題。

The catch is that when this is happening to a new family, it is consuming,

重點是當這檔事發生在新家庭的身上時

它是不停消耗的，

and a family with a new baby is more financially vulnerable

一個帶著一名新生兒的家庭

比起他們以前在財務上更為脆弱的，

than they've ever been before,

so that new mother cannot afford to speak up on her own behalf.

所以新手媽媽沒本錢為自己發聲。

But all of us have voices.

但是我們所有人都有著聲音，

I am done, done having babies,

我已經生完孩子了，

and you might be pre-baby,

而你可能是有小孩前、

you might be post-baby,

有小孩後、沒有孩子，

you might be no baby.

It should not matter.

那應該無關緊要，

We have to stop framing this as a mother's issue,

我們必須停止形造這個為

母親僅有的課題、

or even a women's issue.

甚或是婦女的課題，

This is an American issue.

這是一個美國的課題！

We need to stop buying the lie that these images tell us.

我們要停止相信這些照片

告訴我們的謊言。

We need to stop being comforted by them.

我們需要停止用它們來感到自在！

We need to question why we're told that this can't work

當我們看到在全世界各地都行得通時，

when we see it work everywhere all over the world.

我們需要去質疑為什麼

我們會被告知這做不到？

We need to recognize that this American reality

我們需要認清這個美國現實

is to our dishonor and to our peril.

是我們的壞名聲以及我們的災難！

Because this is not,

因為這個不是、

this is not,

這個也不是、

and this is not what a working mother looks like.

這個更不是職業媽媽所看起來的樣子！

(Applause)

（掌聲）