June 13, 2010 7:50PM 

# If Only We Could Be More Like Djibouti, Haiti, and Afghanistan 

By [David Boaz](https://www.cato.org/people/david-boaz) 

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> [When it comes to](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/11/AR2010061103251.html) paid maternity leave, the United States is in the postpartum dark ages.
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> One hundred and seventy-seven nations — including Djibouti, Haiti and Afghanistan — have laws on the books requiring that all women, and in some cases men, receive both income and job-protected time off after the birth of a child.

##### Related Tags 

[General](https://www.cato.org/general), [Afghanistan](https://www.cato.org/afghanistan) 

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