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 help 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 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 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.
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