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.

  • Winning the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

    The Decade-Long Movement for Justice & Equity

    In 2022, after years of fighting for equity and justice for pregnant workers, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act was signed into law. Learn more about the decade-long movement to make this landmark civil rights victory happen.

Justice & Law, National

Winning the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act: A Landmark Victory for Women, Families and Democracy

Dina Bakst, Co-Founder, Senior Advisor & President Emerita of A Better Balance

A Better Balance

Health, Justice & Law, Money & Jobs, National

Four Things You Should Know About the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

Saadia Van Winkle, writer and former television journalist

Maskot / Getty Images

Justice & Law, Money & Jobs, National

Making the New Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Work for Women and Families

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), House Judiciary Committee

Screenshot from C-SPAN

Health, Justice & Law, Money & Jobs, National

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Saved My Livelihood. Women Nationwide Need to Know About This Important Law.

Victoria Cornejo Barrera, community advocate for A Better Balance

Melina Mara / The Washington Post via Getty Images

Health, Justice & Law, Money & Jobs, National

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Is Key to Improving Black Maternal Health and Families’ Economic Security

Angela D. Aina, co-founding executive director of BMMA, Inc.

Erik McGregor / LightRocket via Getty Images

Justice & Law, National

Defending the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act in the Courts

Katherine Greenberg, director of strategic litigation at A Better Balance

Kaitlyn Golden, senior counsel at Democracy Forward

Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images

Justice & Law, Money & Jobs, National Politics

A Challenge to the Health of Pregnant Workers—and the Health of Our Constitutional Democracy

Deborah Widiss, John F. Kimberling Professor of Law at Indiana University Maurer School of Law

Andrew Harnik / Getty Images

Justice & Law, National

In the Fight to Defend Pregnant Workers, Focus on the South

Elizabeth Gedmark, vice president at A Better Balance

Jon Cherry / Getty Images

Health, Justice & Law, Money & Jobs, National

From Pregnancy Discrimination to Advocacy: My Journey to Capitol Hill

Takirah Woods, community advocate at A Better Balance

A Better Balance

Justice & Law, Money & Jobs, National

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Is Essential for Pregnant Workers and Moms Like Me

Denizer Carter, community advocate at A Better Balance

Paul Morigi / Getty Images for A Better Balance

After I was pushed off the job due to my pregnancy, I had to use water in my son’s cereal because I could no longer afford milk.

Armanda, New York—before PWFA's passage

I asked if I could have a water bottle when I was dizzy and nauseated from my pregnancy—I was nearly fainting every day. My employer said no.

Tesia, Missouri—before PWFA's passage

It was devastating to lose my paycheck with a baby on the way. … I used up all of my savings and I eventually had to move in with my mother because we could not afford rent… No one wanted to hire me while I was visibly pregnant.

Denizer, Lousiana—before PWFA's passage

A pregnant woman is valuable. We’re valuable to the country, we’re valuable to the workforce, and it’s time that we start getting treated that way.

Jennifer, Texas—before PWFA's passage

I have two daughters and nieces. I am so grateful that they—and millions of workers across the country— won’t have to choose between starting a family or keeping their jobs.

Natasha, South Carolina—after PWFA's passage

It’s important to know that having a baby inside your belly is not a sickness… You’re still the same person, but you have to be careful because you’re growing a baby inside of you… When for a company is the right time for a woman to have a baby? It would never be the right time if they don’t make accommodations.

Victoria, South Carolina—after PWFA's passage

[Because of the PWFA], I will have a job to return to and know I will be able to pay my bills and care for my child.

Kirsten, Arizona—after PWFA's passage

Wow, this saved me from losing my job, [and helped me with] completing now one year with my company and, most importantly, being able to spend that time with my baby.

Maxine (pseudonym), Washington, D.C.—after PWFA's passage

When I went into work, I wasn’t afraid to request reasonable accommodations because I wasn’t alone. I didn’t have a person with me, but I had a federal law with me to help me. Suddenly they agreed to accommodate me after being completely resistant before.

Beca, Massachusetts—after PWFA's passage

Knowing that the PWFA had my back meant that my voice and rights had to be acknowledged and not pushed aside. I was able to go to not only my HR division, but also to the directors of my department, to provide educational material about pregnant workers’ rights with confidence, resulting in receiving my full-time status and benefits at work again.

Ashley, Florida—after PWFA's passage

When I received the call that my accommodation was approved I burst into tears. It felt like a load of bricks had been lifted off my chest. When I returned to work, I walked around with such pride and a high sense of dignity. I was finally able to enjoy my pregnancy and relax. I am able to contribute financially again, giving me my sense of self-worth back. I no longer felt ostracized or incapable because I was pregnant.

Abby (pseudonym), Florida—after PWFA's passage

No woman in this country should have to choose between her job and a healthy pregnancy.

Dina Bakst, co-founder of A Better Balance

Taking a few extra breaks at work, or having a stool to sit on or access to a water bottle, or avoiding heavy lifting barely costs an employer anything, but it can make a world of difference for a pregnant worker’s health and ability to keep earning money.

Victoria Cornejo Barrera, community advocate for A Better Balance

Since the PWFA is relatively new, some bosses may not be aware of the provisions yet. Others may choose to willfully disregard them.

Saadia Van Winkle, writer and former television journalist

The need for the PWFA and its robust enforcement is vital for women and their families in the South because, despite progress, many Southern states still do not have state-level protections and must rely only on federal protections.

Elizabeth Gedmark, vice president at A Better Balance

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act represents a significant step toward addressing the systemic inequities that contribute to the nation’s maternal morbidity and mortality crisis.

Angela D. Aina, co-founding executive director Black Mamas Matter Alliance

When I was about four months pregnant, I almost had a miscarriage. My doctor recommended that I take occasional breaks at work to rest and to stop doing any heavy lifting. ... When the store’s management found out about my restrictions, they pushed me out of my job.

Denizer Carter, mother of two and A Better Balance community advocate

Now is the time to collectively inform ourselves and each other about our reproductive rights.

Takirah Woods, community advocate at A Better Balance

The PWFA ... also provides strong protections for workers after childbirth, including a right to time off to recover from childbirth and accommodations related to postpartum depression as well as flexibility for workers who need to express breastmilk. Importantly, the PWFA also covers other well-established pregnancy-related conditions including fertility, miscarriage and abortion.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.)

Ms. Studios

This Episode: The Fight for Pregnant Workers' Rights Isn't Over (with Dina Bakst)

The next four years will be a struggle, as feminists reckon with an administration that’s hostile to our rights. But we have a lot of past wins under our belt that we can’t take for granted—and that will help us survive. One of those wins, implemented in 2023, is the PWFA. But is it safe ... or will it be threatened by the Trump administration’s crusade against reproductive rights?