is it true that american women still don't have guaranteed maternity leave?
(gonna start putting TW on my posts, I apologize to those I have triggered in the past month) TW for mention of miscarriage, rape
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Yes, this is true. Many women in America don't get paid Maternity leave. According to BBC, only 21% of all families in America gets Paid Maternity Leave. That's an issue considering that the United States of America is one of the most wealthy countries in the world, and yet less than 1/4th of Americans have access to Paid Maternity Leave.
Maternity leave can last from 2 weeks up to a year, it really does depend on your employer and your employment code (Part-time, Full-time, Seasonal, Flex, Reduced-time, etc). For my position and employment code, I only get 2-6 weeks of unpaid maternity. Horrifyingly, I used to work with a woman who was trying to get pregnant, so she started working full time to get 20 paid weeks of maternity leave, instead of the regular 6 weeks unpaid. Unfortunately, this caused her to overwork, causing her many injuries, and eventually caused a miscarriage...
The things women and hard working families have to do in order to just get paid leave. Just to be seen and treated as people. In America, most citizens are barely able to scrape by. Our wages are shit, while inflation is high (and will continue to increase) and most Americans are in debt ON AVERAGE $96,371. So, Americans not only have to worry about raising a family. They also have to worry about paying off mortgage, student debt, bills and rent, and other necessities like a phone bill or internet bill. (Yes these are considered necessities now. This is how many people do their job, do their schoolwork, get access to their bank or families, etc. Our world is reliable on the internet and cellphones now)
Isn't it so messed up how America wants to, and already has, limited woman's rights by limiting/banning abortion, as well as Birth Control / Morning After pills.. The FDA had to step in and announce that Morning After Pills aren't "abortion pills" because so many states are trying to illegalize/limit them.
And before anyone comes in here and says its not happening...Iowa has stopped paying Morning-After Pills and Abortions for Rape Victims..
So...Women have limited rights to their own body and choices. Yet, this same government won't even give us paid maternity leave with the same baby they're forcing us to have...unless we overwork ourselves or get lucky with our jobs. Which, most jobs would rather fire you if you ever become pregnant, or give you a shit 4 payless weeks to yourself. Almost like they want us to suffer.....
