Help me understand how America is a nation of purported “family values” yet mothers do not get paid maternity leave. This abomination is not a partisan issue. If there is one thing unites women (and men) across party lines, it’s motherhood. We all love our children fiercely and value that time at the beginning to bond with and nurture our babies as we grope our way through those sleepless nights and zombie days. The United States is among the world’s richest nations - rich in terms of financial wealth, military muscle, world power, intellectual capital, and opportunity. It’s shameful we don’t value motherhood as much as we value wealth.
Women in America today can take up to 12 weeks leave through the Family Medical Leave Act. My husband, in fact, used the benefits of this act to take off a month when our first son was born. It was a joy for him to have that bonding time. Other women have to use sick days and disability to cover “maternity leave.” Let me be clear here, motherhood is neither a sickness nor a disability. We must not treat it as such, making the whole concept of maternity leave seem punitive.
The modern woman’s Sophie’s Choice is paycheck or baby. There are so many unsavory dynamics that go into becoming a mother in America. When I was pregnant with my first son I was laid off from my job (under sketchy circumstances), bullied by the managers in my new job about being pregnant (though I disclosed I was pregnant in my interviews), and dragged through legal ordeals about health insurance when I left the bullying company. In my second pregnancy, I was dropped from my husband’s health insurance in his new job because pregnancy was considered a pre-existing condition. I was engaged in battle before my babies were even born!
Why do we make it so difficult for people to start a family?
Remarkably, we have legions of people who fight to give more rights to unborn fetuses than to living mothers. It’s not a matter of either/or here; it is a matter of providing support to families and children and mothers. Many issues that ail society and stress out families and marriages are due to lack of support. The issues are complex and gargantuan, but in simple terms, American values, standards, and budgetary priorities do not care about women and families, for which society pays the price. Exactly what standards are we using when we puff out our chests and proclaim to be the greatest nation on earth?
To reiterate, the United States is the ONLY industrialized nation in the world to provide no paid maternity leave. This must change, regardless who sits in the Oval Office.
Image via Think Progress
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Comments 78
Thanks Shae I meant to point that out as well, the employer itself will not be footing the bill, the gov't will. I do not identify with any political party, but nothing bothers me more than the fact that Mitt has said people are entitled to what they can afford. Doctor visits, medication, college education, maternity leave and a few other things should be equal opportunity for all, not just those who have the funds.
America has it backward. It's not about anyone oweing you anything, it's about taking care of our citizens. We'll waste TRILLIONS on unnecessary wars but won't help out our own children - and paid maternity leave is much more about the children than it is the moms. People forget that babies NEED to bond with their mothers. We've set up a system wherein only babies of wealthy moms get that privilege. It should be viewed as a right not a privilege. EVERY OTHER INDUSTRIALIZED NATION ON THE PLANET but us provides this. That should tell us something.
This should be provided by our government, like it is in most other countries. If you own a small business, you would not have to shut down. Again, our government will waste trillions on pointless wars but won't subsidize a few paid weeks for American babies to be able to bond with their mothers. I look forward to a day when we look back on this time in our history with embarassment.
On the other hand, children today, will be tomorrow's bosses. They children of today aren't supervised enough, and get into far more trouble than I ever dreamed of being in as a kid.
So it would benefit the nation for children to have a better foundation at home, and I'm okay with tax dollars paying for that.
Idk.
@TLVitale, thats great and all but not everyone even makes enough money to cut anything out of their budget to save. I'm already saving every penny I can by buying nothing but necessities. If I cut anything out, it would mean not paying one bill for the month which I sometimes do. Poor people work hard too, but unfortunately for everyone working hard doesnt mean money in the bank. You may not feel you deserved a paid maternity leave since you make enough to save, but for those people making minimum wage trying to make ends meet I think they do deserve paid time off with their baby (and please dont say poor people shouldnt have children), just like they deserve a chance to go to college, and go to the doctor when theyre sick. These should not be class issues but rather humanity issues.
Just where would you like this money to come from? If you can't afford a baby, don't have one. Small business's wouldn't survive if someone was gone for a year.