Dear Friend, On behalf of the Board and staff, the California Women’s Law Center wishes you and yours a safe and healthy holiday season. And, although we remain on high alert regarding the status of the pandemic and its variants, we hope you are able to safely gather with friends and family this year.With your
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“Will this institution survive the stench that this creates in the public perception that the Constitution and its reading are just political acts?” – U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument yesterday in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the first case the Court has considered on the constitutionality of
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Earlier this week CWLC and our partners at The Alliance: State Advocates for Women’s Rights and Gender Equality released a new report on the deceptive practices of crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs). “Designed to Deceive: A Study of the Crisis Pregnancy Center Industry in Nine States” analyzes the activities and funding sources of CPCs which notes
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CWLC is participating in a coalition of state-based law and national policy centers working to ensure equitable access to evidence-based reproductive health care and efforts to secure transparency and accountability in government-funded programs for pregnant people. On August 27th, a piece written by CWLC and our allies was published in the BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health Journal
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJuly 16, 2021 CONTACT: Amy Poyer, amy.poyer@cwlc.org, 323-951-1041 LOS ANGELES, CA — California Women’s Law Center and Equal Rights Advocates, represented by Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, earlier this month filed an important amicus brief in support of the University of Southern California before the California Supreme Court in Boermeester v. Carry. The issue before
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The U.S. Department of Education recently released a memorandum stating that the historic Bostock v. Clayton County decision, handed down by the United States Supreme Court last June, does not prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in schools. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 bars discrimination “because of sex” in the workplace and Title IX of the
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As we confront the known and unknown challenges of COVID-19, we recognize life is dramatically more difficult for many people today than it was just a few weeks ago.
This year, we are recognizing Domestic Violence Prevention Month during a global pandemic. We know that violence against women is and has been on the rise, as cities around the country have confirmed an increase in police calls and reports. Some women have been forced to shelter-in-place with an abuser. Travel restrictions and financial constraints
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Today is Native Women’s Equal Pay Day in the United States, which marks how far into 2020 the average Native woman must work to earn what a white man did in 2019. Native women earned just 60 cents on the dollar last year. While the exact amount varies, Native women are paid less no matter their education level, in rural areas
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A woman’s right to choose an abortion is something central to a woman’s life, to her dignity… And when government controls that decision for her, she’s being treated as less than a full adult human being responsible for her own choices.
A courageous whistleblower has reported that immigrant and migrant women at the Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia have been sterilized without their knowledge or consent. The whistleblower’s allegations assert that this facility, a private prison contracted with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), engaged a medical provider to perform unnecessary hysterectomies on women without their
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Today is the inaugural International Equal Pay Day, recognized by the United Nations to bring attention to the gender wage discrimination women experience worldwide. Globally, the pay gap is estimated to be at twenty-three cents. This compares similarly to the average pay gap in the U.S., which has been at least twenty cents for several years. Pay
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Twenty-six years ago, in 1994, Congress officially recognized violence against women as a national crisis and took steps to combat gender violence on a national level by passing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). VAWA allocated resources to train and educate law enforcement, investigate and prosecute violent crimes against women, and support survivors and their families. Since
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One hundred years ago, on August 26th, 1920, the 19th Amendment was incorporated into the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing women’s legal right to vote. Today, this date is celebrated as Women’s Equality Day and it is an opportunity to reflect upon the progress we have made, as well as the work that remains. Shortly after the 19th Amendment was
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Today marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, the constitutional amendment that legally guaranteed women’s ability to vote and participate in the democratic process. Eight days later, on August 26th, 1920, the amendment was incorporated into the U.S. Constitution, and since then the nation has celebrated August 26th as Women’s Equality Day in recognition
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Today is Black Women’s Equal Pay Day which marks how far into the year a Black woman in the United States must work to earn the same amount as the average white man made last year. Falling on August 13, 2020, Black women must work more than eight extra months to be compensated the same amount as their white
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Women face discrimination throughout the course of their lives. And, in the wake of the pandemic, several recent studies have illustrated how the impacts of gender inequity have been amplified during COVID-19. According to the Center for American Progress, women face higher rates of poverty than men. While this is true across all races and
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The California Women’s Law Center served as amicus in two important cases involving student survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence. In Boermeester v. Carry, CWLC and Equal Rights Advocates filed an amicus letter urging the California Supreme Court to grant review of the Court of Appeal’s decision. Our amicus letter argues that this decision,
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As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to grow and impact people of all ages, the health consequences have been devastating for older adults. Individuals over the age of 65 account for more than 77% of the lives lost statewide and a stunning 40% of the state’s total deaths have occurred in skilled nursing facilities.
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For the past several months, the federal government has been conducting the 2020 census to gather data on the number of people living in the U.S. This information is used to determine the amount of federal funding state and local communities receive for programs like childcare, medical services, and more. To date, nearly 62% of
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This morning, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that strikes down Louisiana’s dangerous abortion restriction. This is a tremendous victory for women’s legal rights The case, June Medical Services vs. Russo, addressed a 2014 Louisiana law that required all doctors who perform abortion in that state to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. This is
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This morning, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that strikesdown Louisiana’s dangerous abortion restriction. This is a tremendous victory for women’s legal rights. The case, June Medical Services vs. Russo, addressed a 2014 Louisiana law that required all doctors who perform abortion in that state to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. This is a
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Tomorrow is Juneteenth, marking the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19th, 1865, enslaved people in Texas finally learned that slavery had ended– a full two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. A few years after the original event, a group of Black community leaders, all former slaves, gathered
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Today, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that Title VII of the United States Civil Rights Act protects the rights of LGBTQ+ people. Employers may not terminate employees on the basis of sexuality, gender or gender expression. This is a monumental decision that refutes the Trump administration’s assertion that Title VII, which protects people from discrimination based
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Like millions of people around the country, the team at CWLC is experiencing grief and rage at the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and too many other Black women and men. Today is Mom’s Equal Pay Day. In the United States, Black mothers earn just 50 cents for every dollar the average white
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This is National Women’s Health Week, an opportunity to recognize the ongoing need to make the health of women and girls a priority. Now more than ever, we must acknowledge the deep inequalities that have been illuminated by the coronavirus. Around the country, Black and Latinx people are contracting and dying of COVID-19 at a
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Happy Mother’s Day! Many moms are juggling more roles than ever now as they work from home, support their children’s online learning efforts, and seek new ways to meet their families’ needs during quarantine. Moms deserve enormous thanks this year and every year. At CWLC, we are grateful to have amazing partners in our work to
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Today is Teacher Appreciation Day. As COVID-19 continues to keep schools closed across the country, many of us have a renewed appreciation for teachers and the critical work they do to educate our youth. California’s more than 306,000 teachers are now serving our communities online. Seventy-four percent of all public-school teachers in the United States are
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April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and the COVID-19 emergency has underscored and exacerbated many of the challenges victims face when seeking justice and coping with trauma. Social distancing measures can mean women feel further isolated from support systems. Stay-at-home measures can limit access to confidentiality. And, navigating the court system can be even
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Every 10 years, as mandated by the U.S. constitution, the federal government conducts a census to gather data on the number of people living in the United States. This is tremendously important and ensures California families receive the resources they need and deserve. As the economic impacts of COVID-19 escalate, it is more critical than ever
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Coronavirus continues to expose deep injustices in our society, including our health care system, where inequalities are being compounded by ideological interference. Unfortunately, many states are using COVID-19 as an excuse to limit access to abortion by including it among other “elective surgeries” that have temporarily been banned during the pandemic. While many courts have blocked
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April is National Fair Housing Month, and the need for affordable housing has been made even more urgent by the COVID-19 crisis. Prior to the pandemic, nearly half of all Californians were rent-burdened, spending more than one third of their income on rent and adding strain and anxiety to lives already impacted by economic insecurity. Women are
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As families across California face the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, CWLC recognizes the importance of today’s National Equal Pay Day. The 31st of March represents how far into 2020 women on average must work to earn what men did in 2019. Women must work a full three months longer than men to earn the same
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We hope this email finds you safe and healthy. As we contend with the known and unknown challenges of COVID-19, we recognize that life is dramatically more difficult for many people today than it was a few weeks ago. Because women have faced discrimination on a daily basis throughout their lives, a crisis like COVID-19
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Today is International Women’s Day, a global celebration calling for gender parity. International Women’s Day recognizes the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women while highlighting the gender inequality that persists in nearly every corner of the world. The 2020 International Women’s Day theme is #EachforEqual. CWLC is dedicated to fighting for equality through education,
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Today, CWLC is recognizing National Girls and Women in Sports Day, which celebrates the achievements girls and women have made in sports. Girls who play sports are more likely to graduate high school, obtain college degrees, and earn higher wages. Just five decades ago, girls had little chance to play sports. That changed with the passage
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This month, CWLC joins others in shining a national spotlight on teen dating violence, and we remain committed to supporting safe and healthy relationships. People of all ages experience abusive relationships, including young people. One in three teens are the victim of physical, sexual, verbal, or emotional abuse from a dating partner. Early intervention and education
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I am proud to celebrate the 11th anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, an Act named after a courageous advocate, and my dear friend, Lilly. When Lilly discovered in 1998 that she had experienced 19 years of gender-based pay discrimination, she took action and sued her employer. While she won that lawsuit in court
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Today is the 47th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that affirmed a woman’s constitutional right to abortion. While abortion may feel like a partisan political issue today, this 7-2 decision was decided by a Supreme Court comprised of a majority of Justices appointed by Republican presidents. In fact, five of
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In 2019, CWLC authored or joined 29 amicus briefs. Some of the briefs were filed at the federal level, pushing back against harmful rules and regulations proposed by the current administration. Others related to cases spanning the country which ended up in appellate courts. Most, however, were filed here in California, reflecting the ongoing need to advocate
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