0:00
- ABC News
- Royal Family
- October 21, 2021
Meghan Markle advocates for paid family leave
"I am, like many, an engaged citizen and a parent," the duchess of Sussex wrote.
Markle noted that, unlike the U.S., most nations already have paid leave policies in place for all workers.
\"Many other countries have robust programs that give months of time for both parents (birth or adoptive) to be home with their child. The United States, in stark contrast, does not federally guarantee any person a single day of paid leave. And fewer than one in four workers has dedicated paid family leave through their employer. I'm sure you agree that if we are to continue to be exceptional, then we can't be the exception.\"
Her point is echoed in a report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which acknowledges that the U.S. \"is alone among wealthy countries in its lack of a national paid leave program.\"
Markle closed out her letter saying that the country should be putting families above politics and not lose sight of what's important.
\"So, on behalf of my family, Archie and Lili and Harry, I thank you for considering this letter, and on behalf of all families, I ask you to ensure this consequential moment is not lost,\" Markle wrote.
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