Women's Rights

Liberty doesn’t have a gender, and the ACLU is committed to keeping it that way. We work to ensure that women can enjoy the benefits of full equality and participation in work, education, and every sphere of society.

Amparo Project Defends Rights of Female Farmworkers

November 7, 2008

Sexual harassment and discrimination are serious problems faced by many Latina women working in the fields and packing plants, and often they do not realize such behavior is against the law. The ACLU-WA has joined with other social justice organizations to form the Amparo Project to combat sexual harassment and other forms of gender discrimination experienced by farmworkers and other low-wage workers in Washington. Read More »

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Limiting Shackling

Bills: SB 6500, HB 2747

Position: support

Status: The bill passed the House and Senate, and Gov. Gregoire signed it into law.

This legislation will limit the circumstances and methods under which pregnant women incarcerated in facilities in Washington may be restrained. The bill bans the use of all restraints on inmates who are in labor or post-delivery recovery. It also limits restraints on pregnant inmates who are being transported to medical care or court proceedings while in the third trimester of pregnancy. Read More »

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Washington Restricts Shackling of Pregnant Inmates

April 2, 2010

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Women's Rights

Pregnant and Parenting Students Are Still Being Pushed Out of School

Linda Mangel

Thursday, March 31st, 2011 at 2:23 pm

Women's History Month gives us an opportunity to reflect on the great strides women and girls have made toward achieving equal rights and equal treatment. Yet, in some ways we are still stuck in the past — as I was reminded of recently when I had the opportunity to step into classrooms in urban Seattle and hear the stories of pregnant and parenting students who are being pressured to drop out of school. As I stand in front of these young women and share information about their rights under Title IX, jaws drop and hands shoot up with questions. Read More »

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Topics:

Regulating Pregnancy Centers

Bills: SB 5274, HB 1366

Position: support

Status: HB 1366 passed out of committee, but did not make it to the House floor for a vote.

This bill addressed problems associated with limited service pregnancy centers (also known as crisis pregnancy clinics). Women, often low-income and without health insurance, go to these centers seeking medical care and unbiased counseling about pregnancy options. Instead, they get false or misleading information about reproductive health care, their pregnancy test results are withheld, and they are denied needed referrals for reproductive health care, including abortions. At least 46 such centers are operating in Washington.

The measure required these pregnancy centers to provide accurate information about the services they provide, to deliver pregnancy test results immediately, and to protect the privacy of health care information collected from people seeking services. The ACLU worked with Planned Parenthood, Legal Voice, NARAL Pro-Choice Washington, NOW, and others to gain passage of the bill. However, very vocal opposition from anti-choice forces prevented it from advancing. Read More »

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Don't Let Pregnancy Centers Deceive Women

Sarah Davies, ACLU-WA Internet Operations Manager

Monday, January 24th, 2011 at 11:35 am

There are 46 pregnancy centers in Washington State providing misleading information about the services they offer. Women facing unexpected pregnancies have entered these "clinics" expecting to receive medical care and information about all of their options. Instead they find that the their client privacy is not protected, their test results and pregnancy records are withheld, and they are denied needed referrals for reproductive health care. Proposed legislation would require all pregnancy centers to disclose what services they do and do not provide. Tell your legislators that you support the right of women to know what kind of services they can expect before they walk in the door. Read More »

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Teen Pregnancy, Discrimination, and the Dropout Rate

Linda Mangel

Monday, October 25th, 2010 at 2:17 pm

When teens get pregnant, most drop out of school. When they drop out of school, they likely face a life of economic insecurity. And the role that discrimination plays in their decisions to drop out raises serious civil rights concerns.

Storm Victory!! A time to celebrate Title IX … and remember there’s still work to do.

Linda Mangel

Friday, September 17th, 2010 at 3:19 pm

I watched the Storm’s championship-clinching game last night with my 11-year-old daughter. To her it was an exciting game, to me it also was a political event. I’ve been a Title IX advocate for 25 years, and I still can’t contain my sense of accomplishment when I see prominent coverage of women’s sports. (And I still sometimes get choked up when I see a team of girls swarm a soccer field or a basketball court).

Moms Losing Mortgages: The Government Investigates

Lindsey Soffes

Friday, August 6th, 2010 at 10:09 am

A Washington State woman was featured in a recent newspaper article that triggered government investigations into pregnancy discrimination in mortgage lending.

Federal law prohibits mortgage lenders from discriminating against borrowers based on pregnancy, as long as the borrowers can demonstrate that they intend to return to work and will be able to continue meeting the income requirements for the loan. And, although lenders may ask about borrowers’ incomes to determine loan eligibility, they may not use pregnancy or maternity leave as grounds to deny mortgages.

Pregnant Student Barred from Phys Ed Course Gets Credit

April 26, 2010

After the ACLU intervened, a female student received credit for a physical education class from which school officials wrongfully barred her due to her pregnancy. Read More »