Single mothers are capable of success

To the editor:

United Way of East Central Iowa has a good mission, but I felt like I was transported to the 1950s when I read the UWECI 2015 'Condition of Women” report, and I felt compelled to ring out in a louder voice when I asked myself 'Is this what the community believes?”.

The report looks at women's health because it is believed to be an indicator of health of all Iowans, and in this edition publishes a statistic for the number of births occurring for unwed mothers. But it pairs it together with low-income households in this passage, 'For example, women from low-income households are more likely to have complications at birth. In 2013, unwed mothers represented ... Jones County.”

Yes, the books will show that a single-income household will have lower income, and prenatal and infant care may or may not be available, but should we be casting a negative light on unwed mothers? I was offended by the implication.

The article could have been more to the point if it had based the story on the figure of babies born to low income households and excluded marital status. Women, especially mothers, are supremely resourceful, and should be encouraged to be successful no matter what their circumstances. We should never assume that she would be better off if she were married. Let's stop talking about single mothers as if they are 'unfortunate.” Let's tell them the truth; that they are capable of being successful and show them the resources available for support.

Lea Olson

Central City