Duchess Meghan on her youth: “It was about making ends meet”

Duchess Meghan
In an open letter, she calls for paid family leave

© Dana Press

Duchess Meghan wrote an open letter to the US Congress in favor of paid parental leave. She describes experiences from her youth, which were marked by financial problems.

Duchess Meghan, 40, wrote a letter to the U.S. Congress on October 20, 2021, advocating paid vacation for new parents. The letter is addressed to the Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, 70, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, 81. The Duchess of Sussex uses emotional words to describe the experiences she had in her youth and as a mother.

Duchess Meghan: As a “committed citizen”, she demands paid vacation

“Like many others, I am a more committed citizen and parent. And because you and your colleagues in Congress have a role to play in shaping family outcomes for generations to come, at this very important time, as a mother, I am writing to you – as a mother – for myself Duchess Meghan begins the letter, which was published on the “Paid Leave For All” website, a campaign by the “Hopewell Fund” organization.

The 40-year-old explains that many women left working life during the corona pandemic to stay at home with the children. A working mother would always face the conflict of being present or getting paid. No matter what the mothers do without – the price is high.

Duchess Meghan: “It was about making ends meet”

In the course of this, Duchess Meghan remembers her own youth, which was characterized by poverty. She grew up with the $ 4.99 salad bar of the US restaurant chain “Sizzler”. “I remember feeling: I knew how hard my parents worked to afford it, because even for $ 5, the restaurant food was special and I felt happy,” she writes.

At the age of 13, she started working, babysitting and waiting in the local frozen yogurt shop “to make a living”. “I’ve worked all my life and saved whenever and wherever I could – but even that was a luxury because it was usually about making ends meet and having enough for the rent and the gas for my car,” she recalls, and points out that many people presumably have their own version of this story.

“Paid family leave should be a national right”

Duchess Meghan also reports on the time after the birth of her daughter Lilibet Diana, 4 months. She and Prince Harry, 37, had the privilege of being able to devote themselves entirely to their families, noting: “No family should have to choose between the opportunity to earn a living and the freedom to look after their child To take care of.” So she is now writing “on behalf of millions of American families” to claim paid family vacations nationally.

Source used: paidleaveforall.org

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