Tag Archives: National Women’s Law Center

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Take Action: Send a Message to the Wal-Mart Women


A woman taking a stand for fair pay is incredible. A whole group of women taking a stand for fair pay? Inspirational. And that’s exactly what is happening now.

Send a Message of Support to the Women of Wal-Mart

 The inspiring women of Wal-Mart are standing up against pay discrimination. Will you send them a message of support today?

www.nwlc.org

Ten years after Betty Dukes and her colleagues first brought their claims of discrimination in pay and promotions against Wal-Mart, their case will go before the Supreme Court in two weeks. It doesn’t get much more inspiring than that!

They need our support. Women at Wal-Mart on average were paid far less than men, despite generally having higher performance ratings and more seniority. And women employees were more likely to be passed over for promotions.

Women are not WorthLess. Add your voice and support the women of Wal-Mart!

On March 29, arguments will start in the case to determine whether women employed at Wal-Mart stores across the country can join together in a class action to challenge Wal-Mart’s pay and promotion practices alleged to discriminate against women.

It isn’t easy for these women to do what they are doing — but it’s the right thing to do. Take action and send them a message of appreciation today!

Thank you for your support, and we’ll keep you updated as the case progresses!

Sincerely,

Fatima Goss Graves

Vice President for Education and Employment

National Women’s Law Center

P.S. Want more information about the case? Check out our new fact sheet about the type of gender stereotyping these women faced on the job at Wal-Mart.

www.nwlc.org

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Take Action: Support the Women of Wal-Mart


As you may already know, the women of Wal-Mart have taken their fight for fair pay all the way to the Supreme Court.

Today the National Women’s Law Center, together with the American Civil Liberties Union and 32 other organizations, took a stand in support of the women of Wal-Mart by filing a friend-of-the-court brief in Wal-Mart v. Dukes, the Supreme Court case.

Pledge now to Stand with the Women of Wal-Mart and to continue to fight against pay discrimination. www.nwlc.org

The brief tells a shocking story. Women at Wal-Mart on average earned $5,000 less than men, even though women tended to have higher performance ratings and more seniority. Women also were less likely to be promoted to store manager positions and had to wait significantly longer for promotions than men.

As our new fact sheet highlights, scores of statements from women employed at Wal-Mart describe the gender stereotyping women regularly faced on the job. The claim in this case is that these sorts of stereotypes affected pay and promotion decisions at Wal-Mart because of Wal-Mart’s company-wide reliance on unchecked, subjective decision making by individual managers.

At the heart of this case is an important question — Is Wal-Mart too big to be held accountable?

We don’t think so. The Supreme Court has long held that when informal personnel practices lead to a discriminatory result, a class of employees can challenge this practice. The Supreme Court should rule that under these laws, there is no such thing as “too big to be held accountable.”

We will keep you updated on this case and provide opportunities to take action. Cases like this remind us of the profound and lasting impact our courts have on women and their families and why it’s important to confirm federal judges who understand the impact of the law on individuals and who are willing to hold powerful corporate interests accountable when they violate the law.

Will you pledge to Stand with the Women of Wal-Mart and continue to fight against pay discrimination?  www.nwlc.org

Thank you for continuing the fight against pay discrimination.

Sincerely,

Fatima Goss Graves

Vice President for Education and Employment

National Women’s Law Center

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Harmful Bush-era “Conscienc​e” Rule Rescinded


A few years ago, we asked you to imagine this: A woman with cervical cancer is not given information about the option to extract and freeze her eggs before her cancer treatment because her gynecologist has a religiously based opposition to infertility treatment.

You helped us oppose this Bush administration “conscience” rule by sending thousands of comments and emails to the administration. The rule, which was in effect since 2008 encouraged providers to deny access to abortion and contraception, and treatment for infertility, substance abuse and HIV/AIDS in ways the law does not allow.

When President Obama took office he proposed rescinding this harmful rule, and again you responded by sending over 5,000 comments in support of removing this restriction. We are pleased to report that the Obama administration announced late last week that it was rescinding dangerous provisions of this rule. We couldn’t have done it without your help and support!

But the battle over women’s health continues and we need your help now. Please make an urgent donation today to support the Center’s work on women’s health and other issues important to women and their families.

Please make an urgent donation today to support the Center’s work on women’s health and other issues important to women and their families.http://action.nwlc.org/site/R?i=WAE9P7vrbxWLu20UOP3Kew..

The new House leadership has unleashed alarming attacks on women’s health and reproductive rights, and if they have their way, women’s access to health care will be set back decades. The House voted to repeal the new health care law, which is already helping women and families. Now House leadership wants to put into law parts of the regulation which was just rescinded. For example, exempting hospitals from requirements to treat women in need of emergency abortion care, even if they may die without it. They want to raise taxes on potentially millions of individuals and small businesses that keep the insurance plans they currently have if they include coverage of abortion. And on top of it all, this past week they made it clear that they are launching an all-out assault on women’s access to contraception and other family planning services.

For nearly 40 years, the National Women’s Law Center has led the way for women and families — in the classroom, in the workplace and in society as a whole. We’re up against what is already one of the most challenging sessions of Congress in recent history, but with our team of experts and your help we know we can win, no matter how much the other side pushes its dangerous message.

Your generous donation allows us to continue to stand up for women and their families. Please support the Center’s important work today. http://action.nwlc.org/site/R?i=vP-vEw_2yVfPMfAafWcfmQ..

Your generous donation allows us to continue to stand up for women and their families. Please support the Center’s important work today.

On behalf of women and families everywhere, thank you for your generous help.

Sincerely,

Judy Waxman

Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights

National Women’s Law Center

P.S. Learn more about Obama’s decision to rescind this harmful Bush-era regulation in our new fact sheet.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

On the Budget: A Tale of Two Visions


Special Report on the Budget

A Tale of Two Visions

This week we saw two radically different visions for America‘s national priorities. President Obama’s budget for Fiscal Year 2012 generally protects key programs for women and girls, although it makes some painful cuts. The House Republican plan for funding — and de-funding — the federal government for the remainder of 2011 would, by contrast, irresponsibly slash funding for a wide range of programs vital to the well-being of women and their families, with consequences that I can only describe as devastating. Read NWLC’s program-by-program analysis of the competing plans >>

Joan Entmacher

Vice President, Family Economic Security

National Women’s Law Center

Issue by Issue

Explore each of the issues below to learn how they would be affected:

Health & Reproductive Rights — Read More>>

Early Childhood Care and Development — Read More>>

Education — Read More>>

Employment and Training — Read More>>

Assistance to Unemployed Workers — Read More>>

Civil Rights and Worker Protections — Read More>>

Tax Benefits for Working Families — Read More>>

Safety Net Programs — Read More>>

Violence Against Women — Read More>>

Social Security and Retirement — Read More>>

Tax Reforms — Read More>>

Additional Fact Sheets and Resources

House Republican Spending Cuts Devastating to Women, Families and the Economy >>

Gingrey H.R. 1 Amendment Will Make It Harder for Low-Income Women to Obtain Access to Contraceptives >>

Fleming H.R. 1 Amendment Will Jeopardize Patient Access to Health Care Services and Information >>

Oppose the Pence H.R. 1 Amendment that Will Jeopardize Women’s Access to Basic Health Care >>

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Take Action: Women and Families in Danger


The Republican House leadership is proposing major cuts in programs that affect women and families. The House is expected to vote on this “continuing resolution” later this week.

Please help us fight back by sending a clear message to the House of Representatives — Vote against the Continuing Resolution.   www.nwlc.org

The Continuing Resolution for FY 2011 proposed by House Republican leaders cuts supports for women and girls at every stage of life. It:

Eliminates the Title X family planning programs that provide funding for contraception and other preventive care to over five million women and men each year

Cuts Head Start and child care for 368,000 children

Cuts millions from nutrition programs for pregnant women and their children

Cuts funding for prenatal care

Eliminates funding for the Women’s Educational Equity Program that helps schools comply with Title IX

Cuts funding for Pell grants, which help low-income women afford college, by more than $800 per student

Cuts funding needed to keep Social Security offices open and for meals, housing, and other supports for elderly women

In addition, the Continuing Resolution also cuts funding for education, housing, food safety, environmental protection, and more.

Take action today and make sure your Representative opposes these drastic cuts.  www.nwlc.org

The debate over next year’s budget also moved into high gear this week, with the release of President Obama’s budget for Fiscal Year 2012. We’ll be sending you information shortly about what the President’s budget would mean for women and their families.

The fights over national priorities, for this year and years to come, will be tough. We’re counting on you!

Sincerely,

Joan Entmacher

Vice President, Family Economic Security

National Women’s Law Center