In her role at CommonSpirit Saint Joseph’s Children, Jessa Cowdry has been involved in the fight to pass paid family and medical leave for the past year. But her fight for PFML is also personal. As a mother, who was able to take 12 weeks of paid time off after the birth of her son, she knows how vital paid leave is for bonding with a new child. Jessa is also deeply aware that not all New Mexicans have equal access to this critical safety net. She sees PFML as a racial equity issue that will ensure that women of color who are less likely to have access to paid leave –don’t have to choose between their financial security and their families, and that all children in New Mexico have a supported start in life.
