I don’t know about you, but I’ve been horrified by political agendas to dismantle hard-won rights for women and other marginalized groups.
At ESME, we’ve seen firsthand that a fraying safety net, soaring health-care costs, lack of affordable day care, and little support for balancing work and family undermine a mother’s ability to care for her children. Too many moms feel exhausted, anxious, frustrated, and powerless. It’s time to take a stronger stance together. We need to stop apologizing, stop being accommodating, and start speaking out.
After a great deal of consideration, we’ve decided to open up ESME to ALL mothers and build a movement of moms who are stronger together. While we still have a vast collection of resources and information for single mothers, our new mission is Empowering Moms, Embracing Diversity, Promoting Equality. Every mom, regardless of the color of her skin, where she lives, who she loves, or what’s in her bank account, deserves to feel personally and collectively empowered.
As moms, our challenges differ, but it’s never easy! Like most moms, I’ve juggled work and family without ever finding the balance. I’ve also been through a painful divorce that intensified my mother guilt and financial insecurity. And after remarrying 15 years ago, I’m in the throes of raising five children—two who are adopted.
As a sociologist who spent years analyzing the way groups gain power, I learned that resources, information, and connection are critical to empowerment. Whether it’s an event focusing on self-defense, an article about how to advocate for your child, or a rally for equal pay, ESME is dedicated to empowering moms at home, in the workplace, in their communities, and across the nation.
In the spirit of inclusion, collaboration, and power, it’s with great pride that I invite you to join Empowering Strong Moms Everywhere!
In Strength and Solidarity,
Marika Lindholm
Dr. Marika Lindholm founded ESME.com to ignite a social movement of Solo Moms. A trained sociologist, Marika taught courses on inequality, diversity, and gender at Northwestern University for over a decade. After a divorce left her parenting two children on her own, she realized Solo Moms lacked much-needed resources, support, and connection. She built her social platform, Empowering Solo Moms Everywhere, out of this combination of academic and personal experience. Marika is also the coeditor of We Got This: Solo Mom Stories of Grit, Heart, and Humor, a frank, funny, and unflinchingly honest anthology—written by 75 Solo Mom writers, including Amy Poehler, Anne Lamott, and Elizabeth Alexander—that celebrates Solo Moms: their tenacity, courage, and fierce love for their children. Marika can be reached at marika@esme.com.
Please feel free to CONTACT US with any comments or questions.
