Royally Obsessed | news

Meghan Markle Releases Statement About Working Moms and the Needs of Families

If a royal offers a direct statement, then we always pay attention, and the latest comes from Meghan Markle, who offered her personal take on why there need to be increased childcare benefits in the workforce.

On Tuesday, the Marshall Plan for Moms—a national organization dedicated to helping mothers succeed economically in the wake of the pandemic—published a new report titled, "The Business Case for Child Care: How Parent-Focused Employee Value Propositions Help Companies Win the War for Talent." The article advocates for better childcare benefits for working parents, and among the many voices that contributed, one of the quotes comes from none other than the Duchess of Sussex.

“Families everywhere, and especially working moms, are asked to shoulder so much,” Markle says in the article, where she is cited as a mother of two and also the co-founder of the Archewell foundation.

“This has only been heightened by the pandemic, with increased caregiving responsibilities, rising prices, and economic uncertainty,” Markle continued. “As it's been said many times, it takes a village to raise a child. Today, we're sending a message that childcare isn't just a community imperative—it's a business imperative. Creating a stronger workforce starts with meeting the needs of families.”

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

This isn't the first time that Markle has advocated for women in the workforce. Back in April, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex posted a statement to their Archewell site, which used a report from the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) to highlight the effect of the pandemic on women.

“While men have returned to the workforce at pre-pandemic levels, the report finds 1.1 million fewer women are in the labor force today than in February 2020,” the statement said. “NWLC also draws on new, national survey data to detail the disproportionate mental, economic, and health burdens on women — particularly among Black women, Latinas, and other women of color, who as a result of the pandemic, are more likely to be managing caregiving responsibilities, navigating loss of household income, dealing with food insecurity, and battling mental health struggles.”

Following this statement, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex linked to an action page, where readers could find helpful resources to aid women around the world.

Keep using your voice to bring light to these issues, Meghan.

Stay up-to-date on every breaking royal family story by subscribing here.

RELATED Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Won’t Be Allowed in the Queen’s Jubilee Balcony Photo—But Here’s Why That’s a Big Mistake

Shop Meghan Markle-Inspired Fashion:

Birdies The Starling Flat

95
Buy Now

Everlane The Japanese GoWeave Essential Jumpsuit

120
Buy Now

Mother Denim The Looker Frayed Ankle Jeans

210
Buy Now

Cuyana Wool Cashmere Short Wrap Coat

345
Buy Now

Joel Calfee

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Joel is the Associate Editor for News & Entertainment and has been reporting on all things pop culture for over 5 years. Before working at PureWow, he served as a Features...
read full bio

Why You Should Trust Us

PureWow's editors and writers have spent more than a decade shopping online, digging through sales and putting our home goods, beauty finds, wellness picks and more through the wringer—all to help you determine which are actually worth your hard-earned cash. From our PureWow100 series (where we rank items on a 100-point scale) to our painstakingly curated lists of fashion, beauty, cooking, home and family picks, you can trust that our recommendations have been thoroughly vetted for function, aesthetics and innovation. Whether you're looking for travel-size hair dryers you can take on-the-go or women’s walking shoes that won’t hurt your feet, we’ve got you covered.