Statement of National NOW President Christian F. Nunes
NOW is proud to see the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act receive the bipartisan attention and support in the House that it deserves. Ending the mistreatment of pregnant workers has fallen to the wayside for too long. The fact that pregnant workers have been forced out of the workforce in record numbers, jeopardizing their livelihoods, retirement contributions, and health insurance at one of the most vulnerable times in their lives is shameful.
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act will not only ensure reasonable accommodations for pregnant people in the workforce, but it will also keep pregnant people in the workforce. In 2018, the International Monetary Fund reported that the United States ranks behind most other advanced economies in female labor force participation, with labor force participation rates for pregnant women being even worse. Women of color and immigrants are disproportionately at risk because they are more likely to hold certain inflexible and physically demanding jobs.
The unanimous and bipartisan support of protecting pregnancy accommodations on the federal level will result in better business bottom lines, bolster economic security, and bring our nation closer to ending pregnancy discrimination. Our pregnant workforce does not deserve to go one more day unprotected.
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The National Organization for Women (NOW) is the nation’s leading membership-based advocacy group dedicated to defending women’s rights, advancing equality and combating injustice in all aspects of social, political and economic life. Through educating, mobilizing, and convening a vast network of grassroots activists across the country, NOW advocates for national, state and local policies that promote an anti-racist and intersectional feminist agenda. Since its founding in 1966, NOW has been on the frontlines of nearly every major advancement for women’s rights and continues to champion progressive values today. More about NOW’s efforts and resources is available at NOW.org.