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Janet Walsh is the deputy director of the women's rights division of Human Rights Watch.
Janet Walsh
Janet Walsh is the deputy director of the women's rights division of Human Rights Watch.
Blog Post List
December 12, 2013
This post originally appeared on Human Rights Watch . When Samantha learned she was pregnant, she hoped for a healthy delivery, a happy baby, and a smooth return to work. Life did not go according to plan. Samantha had a C-section, and the wound got infected. She took eight weeks of leave from work, much of it unpaid. Samantha went into debt, deferred student loans, and dipped into savings. She was in pain when she returned to work, barely able to walk. Her employer then laid her off, saying they wanted someone who could work late shifts with little notice. This week a bill will be introduced...
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May 12, 2012
The President's support for gay marriage is a step in the right direction, but meanwhile, gay families are excluded from basic protections like family leave to care for one another in case of a serious health condition. Check out this op-ed about the issue: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/janet-walsh/gay-in-america-left-out-of-fam...
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July 2, 2011
The Department of Labor held an important meeting this week in New York to discuss workplace flexibility policies for professionals. Here's a posting from the Huffington Post about why flexibility policies are vital for business and for workers and their families. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/janet-walsh/workplace-flexibility-contentm...
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June 19, 2011
Here's an op-ed on how dads in many other countries get paid paternity leave under law, and it pays off for businesses, economies, and families. But US dads get no guarantee of paid paternity or family leave under law. Published in the Houston Chronicle: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/7615969.html
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May 6, 2011
Americans value moms, but US policies don’t – especially when it comes to paid maternity and family leave. Check out this oped on the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/janet-walsh/paid-leave-act-_b_858198.html
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February 23, 2011
Millions of US workers – including parents of infants – are harmed by weak or nonexistent laws on paid leave, breastfeeding accommodation, and discrimination against workers with family responsibilities, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Workers face grave health, financial, and career repercussions as a result. US employers miss productivity gains and turnover savings that these cost-effective policies generate in other countries. The 90-page report, “Failing its Families: Lack of Paid Leave and Work-Family Supports in the US,” is based on interviews with 64 parents across...
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April 28, 2010
Take a look at this op-ed about Human Rights Watch's Webby-nominated online video, with a reference to the fantastic Momsrising.org "Mother of the Year Award" video. Check out the Human Rights Watch video, and if you like it, please vote for it to win the Webby Award! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/janet-walsh/can-a-video-save-lives_b_55363...
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March 30, 2010
Parental leave with pay when a child is born or adopted is an important support for working families, yet most US private sector workers do not have this benefit. Human Rights Watch ( www.hrw.org ), a nongovernmental human rights group, is interviewing parents in the US about their experiences 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 for making recommendations on US law and policy. HRW is seeking parents to interview by phone in the coming month. The interviews...
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January 25, 2010
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...
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