“As a new mom, this hit home” – Naomi Osaka partners with Bobbie to address America’s ‘paid leave problem;’ advocates for Family and Medical Leave Act

Naomi Osaka has partnered with Bobbie, a company that produces infant formula and was founded by mothers, in an effort to bring attention to America’s struggles with paid leave and to support the Family and Medical Leave Act.

After welcoming her daughter Shai in July 2023, Osaka has been a strong advocate for new parents and has been actively pushing for policies that provide support for families. She has joined forces with Bobbie to champion the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act, which proposes 12 weeks of paid leave, job security, and a minimum monthly benefit of $580.

Despite the Act not having been passed yet, Naomi Osaka and Bobbie took the initiative to establish the N.O. Support Grants earlier this year. They were able to provide $580 to 50 families and also encouraged 38 brands to collaborate, ultimately helping over 200 American families. Even though the Act has not yet been passed, Osaka made sure to emphasize its significance on social media.

“America has a paid leave problem and we’re not keeping quiet about it. The lack of federal paid leave has left parents with little, if any, support. As a new mom, this hit home for me. That’s why I partnered with @bobbie to advocate for the Family and Medical Leave Act, which would give 12 weeks paid leave, job protection, and guarantee a minimum monthly benefit of $580,”Osaka captioned her Instagram post.

The ex-World No. 1 expressed her desire to persist in creating an impact and, together with Bobbie, initiated a petition to rally support for their mission. Their objective is to advocate for their demands to policymakers and urge for national implementation of paid leave for families.

“We had a goal of awarding 50 families to receive a grant, but thanks to our coalition, we were able to support more than 200 parents. Thank you to the families who have shared their stories, and to the brands and individuals who have joined the movement. But our work isn’t done yet — we need your signature to get this in front of policymakers,”she added.

Naomi Osaka’s Impressive Comeback at Qatar Open 2024 After Giving Birth to Shai

After participating in the 2022 Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Naomi Osaka announced her pregnancy before the 2023 Australian Open and decided to withdraw from the tournament. She took a break from the sport for the entire 2023 season and made her comeback at the 2024 Brisbane International this season.

Despite her lackluster performances at the Brisbane International, Australian Open, and Abu Dhabi Open following her return, Osaka was able to find her stride at the Qatar Open. She began her campaign with a solid 7-5, 6-4 victory over Caroline Garcia in the first round and continued her winning streak with a 6-3, 7-6(9) defeat of Petra Martic in the second round.

Despite being initially scheduled to play against Lesia Tsurenko in the third round, Naomi Osaka secured a spot in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open after Tsurenko withdrew from the match due to an elbow injury. Unfortunately, Osaka’s run at the tournament came to a halt in the quarterfinals when she faced Karolína Pliskova and narrowly lost in a closely contested match with a final score of 7-6(6), 7-6(5). This marked her first quarterfinal appearance in almost two years.