Paid maternity leave is a fairly new topic, specifically within the United States. Less than sixty years ago, women were still largely considered as inferior to men in the workplace and were denied opportunities and jobs based off that fact. A considerable portion of women still took the stereotypical role of the homemaker, while the men brought in the income. A part of this discrimination was because of a womans ability to have children, and thus not be able to put in the amount or quality of work a man could. The Civil Rights Act and Equal Pay Act from the 960s started the campaign for equal rights among men and women and allowed women to be able to participate in the workforce. Paid maternity leave, being compensated while on leave from work after giving birth or adopting, is a system already set up in several developed countries, but not in the United States. A periodical titled A Plan for Parental Leave by A
bby M. McCloskey from National Review states: Lack of paid leave is a problem especially for low-income mothers, single mothers, and for the four in ten American mothers who are their households main breadwinner, according to Pew Research Center (par.5). Stakeholders in this issue include political parties, law-making bodies, and political organizations. Different aspects of paid maternity leave can be looked at scientifically, socially, economically, and historically/politically. Scientifically, the relationship between mother, child, and length of leave can be evaluated, while economically, the effects of monetary compensation for non-working mothers can be analyzed. Politically/historically, maternity leave has become a debated topic for how past laws and regulations should be updated to todays standards. This forms the question of to what extent should companies offer paid maternity leave in the United States.