








Glasshouse Images; JGI/Jamie Grill/Getty Images; Liderina/Getty Images; Bill Oxford/ Getty Images; Synthetic-Exposition/Getty Images; Daniel Balakov/Getty Images; Quality Stock Arts/Shutterstock
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Is Essential to Democracy.
Passage of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA)—the almost 2-year-old landmark civil rights law that affords pregnant and postpartum workers an explicit right to reasonable workplace accommodations to protect their health and keep their jobs—is at once a lesson in and laboratory for participatory democracy.
Bipartisan, pro-family and boldly feminist, the PWFA codifies crucial protections for workers with pregnancy-related limitations—especially for women in low-wage jobs and women of color—and ensures they are treated with dignity and fairness. But today, efforts to enforce and advance vital reforms envisioned by the PWFA now must be met with a vigorous defense to protect the law from antidemocratic attacks.
This installment of Women & Democracy is produced in proud partnership with PWFA champion, A Better Balance. Through a collection of essays and interviews, experts dig into the PWFA’s decade-long path to passage—and highlight the powerful impact of the law. We highlight legal and organizing strategies, especially in the South, that will guide its future. And we spotlight an array of voices—from impacted workers, to a distillation of the law’s distinct health and economic impact on Black women, to litigators defending the PWFA—to illustrate the vast civic effort making the PWFA a reality for millions.
In addition to the content here, additional resources include ABB’s PWFA Explainer and Know Your Rights guide. You can contact the ABB team at 1-833-NEED-ABB and/or fill out an online inquiry here.
Women & Democracy is our collaborative series, spearheaded by Ms. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR PARTNERSHIPS AND STRATEGY, Jennifer Weiss-Wolf. Each quarter Ms. will publish a new microsite, together with a dedicated partner, that focuses on key issues impacting full and fair representation in our democracy.
