Paid parental leave is a human right, one guaranteed by virtually every country.  But not the United States!

When you gave birth or adopted your kids, did you take leave without pay?  How did this affect breastfeeding, your health, your baby’s health, or your family’s finances?  How did this affect the timing of your return to work?  How else did the lack of paid parental leave affect you and your family?

Human Rights Watch, a nongovernmental human rights group, is hoping to interview parents about their experience with unpaid maternity and paternity leave, and the impact on their families.  The interviews will be used for a report (using pseudonyms, not actual names of interviewees) and, depending on the findings, for making recommendations on US law and policy.

Please contact Human Rights Watch at walshj@hrw.org if you would like to share your story through a short interview.  To learn more about Human Rights Watch, visit www.hrw.org.