Last year Serena Williams made headlines when she was penalized for pregnancy after welcoming her baby. Now she’s using her stardom to protect other moms from facing the same experience.
For Williams motherhood has meant making some sacrifices to juggle her career with her baby, something all working moms can relate to. However, the tennis champ didn’t think she should face a penalty at work for having a baby and neither should any mom.
When Williams returned to the game after giving birth to her daughter she slipped in rank from first to 451st, simply for taking time off. She fought back and the rules were eventually changed by the Women’s Tennis Association. Williams recognizes that not all women have the ability to speak up about unfair treatment, which is why she feels compelled to use her voice to speak for them.
In a recent interview with NowThis Serena said, “Unfortunately it takes someone that’s in my position for it to happen to, and in that way, things can change.” She continued, “The WTA now has a rule that, if you go out and you get pregnant and you have an amazing baby like I did, you still have an opportunity to come back and… you can keep your ranking.”
—Shahrzad Warkentin
Featured photo: Serena Williams via Instagram
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