Serena Williams' Husband Is Fighting for Paid Leave for New Dads

Mom Serena Williams is a GOAT on and off the court. Now, her husband, Alexis Ohanian, is following in her Super Parent footsteps to raise awareness on the importance of paid parental leave for dads.

Less than 1 in 5 men in the U.S. are currently offered any paid paternity leave by their employer, according to a news release. And many who are offered paid leave policies don’t believe they can take their full time, if any. Ohanian wants to change that.

The businessman and dad partnered with Dove Men+Care to champion for dads’ right to take paternity leave. The campaign encourages others to show support for dads by signing The Pledge for Paternity Leave, and features a fund to help real dads and their families nationwide who don’t have access to paid leave.

The Pledge for Paternity Leave is a call to action for dads, moms, business owners, friends and everyone in between. The goal is to increase awareness on the importance of access to paid leave policies for fathers to bond with a new child. Each pledge will help dads see they can and should feel safe when asking for their right to paid paternity leave. Show your support by making the pledge here.

“Through my own experience becoming a father, I saw firsthand the importance of taking paternity leave and being there for my family during a critical time in our lives,” Ohanian says. "No dad should have to sacrifice taking leave, and I’ve been very public about taking mine in an effort to show other men that you can still be an ambitious businessperson while also taking time for your family.”

To support dads in their journey, Dove Men+Care will also launch The Dove Men+Care Paternity Leave Fund, a $1 million commitment through 2020 to fund real dads who are currently unable to take time off during the important moment in their families’ lives. The fund is available for new or expectant dads who do not currently have access to paid leave through their employer, and all eligible dads are encouraged to apply for the fund for a chance to receive a $5,000 grant. Click here for more information or to apply.

Paid leave for dad is beneficial for the whole family. Sweden is fully aware of this. The Swedes are entitled to 480 combined days of paid parental leave—240 for mom and 240 for dad. For 390 of those days, parents make 80 percent of their salary, while the remaining 90 are paid at a flat rate.