Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, called on the United States to expand access to paid family leave across the country, citing the impact that the global health crisis and economic downturn have had on women.
In an interview with CNBC on Monday, Gates said the Covid-19 pandemic has drawn the curtain on the care crisis in America.
“In terms of recovery and in this recovery, one of the things that Congress needs to look at is paid family sick leave. It comes a lot in the United States,” she said in a conversation about Closing Bell. . “We will not get a recovery as robust or as fast unless we look at this infrastructure that we have given up for too long.”
Gates’ comments coincide with International Women’s Day, a global effort to recognize women’s achievements and the many roles they play in society. While a comprehensive plan is essential for working women, it would also be useful for fathers and men caring for sick family members.
Paid family leave is an insurance program that allows employees to take time off without losing a salary. The program can be used by workers to care for newborns or family members who are seriously ill.
A national policy would bring America into line with other developed countries that already grant the privilege of their citizens. The United States is one of the only industrialized nations in the world that does not have such a policy, according to the World Center for Policy Analysis at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Nine states have laws on books that offer residents the benefit, though Gates said that’s not enough.
Critics of the idea argue that the program would be a burden on small businesses. Lawyers propose, however, that it could be financed by salary deductions.
“There are some great policies that have been adopted here in the U.S. state, so it’s time to look at that as a nation,” she said.
Although paid leave would be useful for the general workforce, the impact would be particularly beneficial for women, said Gates, a mother of three and the wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. According to United States Paid Leave, a group trying to advance family leave policies, 1 in 4 mothers in the United States return to work less than two weeks after birth.
The pandemic, which has led to nearly a year of social restrictions and the closure of non-essential businesses, has left millions of Americans out of work. The layoffs have pushed women, who are leaving the workforce at higher rates than men, into a particularly difficult place.
As of February 2020, more than 2 million women have completely given up their jobs, causing their participation rate to fall to unprecedented proportions since 1988, according to the National Center for Women’s Rights.
Women are more likely to care for children and other relatives, and paid family leave would help them maintain their jobs. The program would also provide benefits for men, helping to break care rules in the country because men are less likely to take family leave, Gates said.
She noted that the $ 1.9 trillion stimulus bill, which Congress is finalizing before sending it to President Joe Biden, includes money for the child care sector, but urged more to be done. She is also encouraged by the record number of women in Congress, hoping that their prospects will have an impact on the talks.
“Because this care crisis is right here in front of us – you know, women are accompanied by caring for young children and the older generation – I think we’ll finally see some action there,” Gates said.