The stats are staggering: Of the 2 billion mothers worldwide, only 23% are offered paid family leave. That means most parents are forced to take unpaid leave if a baby is on the way or a family emergency arises. But tennis champ and new mama Naomi Osaka is fighting to change that.
The 26-year-old has teamed up with mom-owned infant formula company Bobbie for a campaign that pushes for paid leave for all parents. Osaka shares with Motherly that she has a luxury most don’t—an income that afforded her a one-month hiatus from tennis while she bonded with baby Shai, now six months, whom she shares with her boyfriend, rapper Cordae, 26.
As one of the highest-paid women in sports, the four-time Grand Slam singles champ is aware of her unique position and platform.
“I want to acknowledge the immense privilege I had to return to work when I was ready to do so. I know this is not the case for most parents in this country, and I want to help change that. This campaign is just the beginning—we will continue to get loud until we see change,” Osaka tells Motherly.
Spending a few short weeks turning her focus away from tennis and entirely onto baby Shai was essential to the new mom—and an eye-opener on working parents’ struggles in this country.
“Those first few days, weeks, and months are so important. It doesn’t matter if you are the mom or dad, birthing parent or not, everyone deserves paid leave and the flexibility to have that time to adjust to this new life,” she says.
“When all parents get paid leave, everyone benefits.”
Naomi Osaka
“I remember being in bed postpartum and thinking there was no way I could get up to go anywhere right now, much less to work. Every American parent deserves protected time to recover from childbirth and bond with their baby,” Osaka shares.
Besides that all-important bonding time during the newborn stage, motherhood is a 24/7 job, and Osaka feels that all parents should have time to be present for their kids. “Right now, for me, it’s all about balancing motherhood with training and getting ready to return to the court. But first thing in the morning, I go into Shai’s room to say good morning. It’s my favorite part of the day—she smiles at me and reaches her hands out. At the end of the day, I come home, put Shai down, and have a little me-time,” she shares. “I won’t pretend it’s easy, but I love everything and feel grateful for each part.”
Osaka has opted to formula-feed baby Shai, which helped her ease back into her busy training schedule. “This is a deeply personal choice for each mother based on endless factors and I think every parent should be able to do what feels best for them and their circumstances. The switch to formula really helped me know she was getting everything she needed nourishment-wise and took some of the pressure off,” she says.
No stranger to pressure, for her part, Osaka means business both on and off the court. The campaign isn’t just intended to raise awareness, it’s to push for a federal law that would give all parents 12 weeks of paid leave, job protection and guarantee a minimum monthly benefit of $580.
“Being a mom inherently makes you an activist. I’ve learned this over the past six months. As a mom-founded and led team, Bobbie is doing a lot more than making a great product nourishing my baby—they are creating change and advocating for issues that matter to parents today. I wanted to team up with them to get loud about the lack of federal paid leave and use our platforms together to bring attention to this issue,” she explains.
Related: Parental leave isn’t enough
While she continues to use her voice and platform for change on the federal level, team Osaka and Bobbie have a plan to help families in the interim. “We’re introducing the N.O. Support Grant which provides 50 families interim support with $580 grants while we continue to advocate for federal paid leave. It’s not a solution, but it’s a start,” she tells us.
To apply for the grant, visit parentspushharder.com. Meanwhile, you can watch Osaka back on the courts at the Australian Open on January 14.