Meghan Markle calls for parental leave for all in the United States

Caitlin Ochs via Reuters

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CHILDREN – Open letter. Meghan Markle on Wednesday (October 20) called on the US Congress to guarantee parental leave to all Americans, admitting to having been “overwhelmed” with the birth of her daughter in the spring.

“I am not elected nor a politician. I am, like many, a committed citizen and a mother, ”writes Prince Harry’s wife in a letter to Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

“In June, my husband and I welcomed our second child,” the former American actress reminds Democratic leaders in Congress. “Like all parents, we were very happy. Like many parents, we were overwhelmed. Like fewer parents, we haven’t been faced with the harsh reality of choosing between spending those critical first months with our baby or going back to work. ”

“We knew we wouldn’t have to make the impossible choices in terms of childcare, employment and medical care that so many people have to make every day,” adds the Duchess of Sussex. “No family should face these decisions.”

Harry, 37, and Meghan, 40, have distanced themselves from the British royal family and have been living in California since March 2020 with their children, Archie, 2, and Lilibet, 4 months. Meghan has also moved away from her father, who complains of never having met his grandchildren.

A decision that is long overdue

The former actress specifies to the leaders of the Congress that she writes to them “as a mother” to defend the parental leave at a time when the elected officials negotiate a vast program of investments which should include a paid parental leave much less length than the 12 weeks proposed by President Joe Biden.

While the British royal family is supposed to remain apolitical, Meghan Markle notes that parental leave should be “a right at the national level instead of a patchwork option limited to those whose employers have policies in place or those who live in the few states where a leave program exists ”. The United States is one of the few developed countries that does not guarantee parental leave, which the current White House considers good for the economy.

“I know how charged things can – and have – become politically charged,” writes Meghan Markle. “But it’s not about right or left. It’s about what is right or wrong. ”

See also on The HuffPost: For her birthday, Meghan Markle wants to help women find work after the pandemic

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