Singer-songwriter Summer Walker is against unequal access to federal paid leave for parents. The singer partnered with Bobbie, an American-based infant formula company, to bless needing families with $580.
In an Instagram post shared on Jan. 16, Walker displayed photos of her pregnancy journey with twins and used statistics to highlight the paid leave injustices.
“One in four women living in the U.S. returns to work within two weeks of giving birth,” the singer wrote in her post.
“At two weeks, I was just beginning to physically, mentally, and emotionally heal from giving birth. So to know that parents are going back to work in this fragile state is devastating,” the 27-year-old singer said, referencing why she was partnering with the formula company.
Summer noted how 84% of adults in America support federal funding for paid leave, but 73% of private sector employees lack said support, according to New America. Three in 10 women would quit the workforce within a year after giving birth due to the lack of access to paid leave (American University’s Department of Economics). The “White Tee” singer mentioned a statistic from the Bipartisan Policy Center about how only 14 American states, including Washington, D.C., offer paid leave.
“It’s time for the government to pick up the slack,” Summer wrote. “This is why I’m proud to partner with @bobbie to help put money in the pockets of families who need it: $580 — the minimum monthly benefit under the Family and Medical Insurance Act. This is in no way sponsored by Instagram.”
Those needing the $580 must head to the application website, fill out the required fields and tell their story, including challenges and how paid leave would impact their lives.
Applicants must state what $580 could do for their families.
The application deadline is Jan. 26, 2024.
The racial inequities in access to paid parental leave need to be addressed.
The statistics Walker mentioned roped all women together, but let’s be honest, the conversation is different with Black women.
Research shows that 80% of Black women are the breadwinners, but only 6 out of 10 of them either take leave unpaid, costing them $3.9 billion in lost wages per year, or they don’t take off because their households can’t take the economic hit.
The Black women who refuse to take leave for financial reasons are at risk of pregnancy-related health issues. Standing for extended periods or climbing stairs is harmful to an exhausted mother who spent hours in the delivery room. Additionally, women have perineum stitches after birth and are required to avoid specific activities to allow healing.
According to the CDC, about one-quarter of pregnancy-related deaths are between seven and 42 days postpartum. And more than 80% of those deaths are preventable.
But the harrowing truth is that a CDC study found Black women are three times more likely to have pregnancy-related deaths than their white counterparts, which is why paid leave is necessary and must be accessible to all.
