WOMEN'S BILL OF RIGHTS

Northwest Women’s Law Center

Women’s Bill of Rights

The Law Center believes that women – all women – have these fundamental rights:

• Women have the right to equal treatment and to be free from discrimination
• Women have the right to decide when, whether and how to form and maintain their families
• Women have the right to be safe wherever they are
• Women have the right to economic equality and independence
• Women have the right to be healthy and active

Please sign on to the Women's Bill of Rights!

By signing on to the Women's Bill of Rights, we will show everyone that these rights are fundamental to women and have enormous support from our advocates, the general public and people like you!

Click Here to Sign the Women’s Bill of Rights.

See what people are saying about the Women's Bill of Rights.

Women have the right to equal treatment and to be free from discrimination

• Educate women about their right to be free from discrimination in the workplace, and about their options to enforce that right

• Protect the rights of pregnant women in the workplace, at school, and in public

• Establish State constitutional and ERA disparate impact theory

• Fight for equal and fair treatment of women who provide care for children, elders and others

• Oppose discrimination in housing based on marital status, sexual orientation, gender

• Enforce gender equity laws in educational programming in schools and colleges

• Protect the rights of pregnant and parenting teens

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Women have the right to decide when, whether and how to form and maintain their families

• Ensure all families are treated fairly, through our Celebrating Diverse Families initiative, which includes de facto parentage, division of assets, relationship recognition, etc.

• Oppose discrimination against women in family law

• Educate people about their legal rights and obligations in forming, maintaining and dissolving their relationships

• Fight for marriage equality

• Ensure the rights of women to dissolve relationships in a fair, equitable and respectful manner

• Develop strategies to address the abusive use of litigation in family law and domestic violence matters

• Prohibit health care providers from refusing care to women based on personal or religious beliefs

• Expose CPCs in their misleading advertising, solicitation and provision of “health care” services

• Defend against anti-choice legislation and initiatives

• Support the decision-making and rights of women who become pregnant as a result of rape

• Work collaboratively to educate about and to achieve reproductive justice

• Maintain a regional network to expand understanding of women’s reproductive health and rights and access to reproductive health care

• Protect established parent-like relationships between adults and children

• Develop state constitutional/case law to protect privacy

• Force insurance plans to cover contraceptives; enforce laws and regulations establishing the right

• Support the personal choices of women of all ages regarding whether and when to have children

• Ensure that health care providers give women and girls comprehensive and accurate medical information so  they can make informed decisions

• Explore the implications for women of new and emerging advanced reproductive technologies

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Women and girls have the right to be safe wherever they are: in their homes, at their jobs, at their schools, etc.

• Prohibit firing women because of domestic or sexual violence

• Ensure schools, colleges and universities respond appropriately to victims of violence or harassment

• Prevent governments from discriminating on the basis of DV/SA in provision of, access to, or implementation of government programs

• Ensure that all women have access to protection orders without sacrificing their safety or privacy

• Work to ensure that victims of violence are treated fairly and receive culturally appropriate services

• Ensure that women fleeing domestic or sexual violence have access to clear, complete information about their rights and options

• Advocate for Native American women who have been sexually assaulted

• Ensure women who leave work because of violence can receive unemployment compensation

• Prohibit landlords/screening companies from evicting or refusing to rent to victims of violence

• Advocate for women who have been trafficked

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Women have the right to economic equality and independence

• Ensure women receive fair economic treatment when their relationships end or their partners die

• Ensure that women receive fair unemployment compensation and public benefits

• Fight for fair child support schedules and systems

• Advocate for paid family leave and the integration of care-giving responsibilities in the workplace

• Work for equal pay/pay equity for women

• Promote access to affordable and culturally appropriate childcare and pre-K schooling

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Women have the right to be healthy and active

• Enforce state and federal gender equity laws in athletics in school and in public accommodations

• Strengthen current gender equity laws

• Advocate for fair and equal treatment in health insurance and health care provision

• Ensure incarcerated women have access to appropriate health care

• Work for the rights of elder women to equal access to health care and opportunities to preserve and improve their health