Pregnancy Workers Fairness Act Marks Step Toward Reproductive Justice

This week the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced new rules allowing workers to seek accommodations under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act for abortion care and other pregnancy-related conditions including stillbirth, miscarriage and infertility treatments. In response, Dr. Regina Davis Moss, President and CEO of In Our Own Voice, released the following statement:

“The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s new rules will enable greater freedom for workers to manage their reproductive health needs on their own terms. Being able to take time off from work is crucial for accessing abortion and other time-sensitive reproductive health care. These policies are an important step toward making sure no one has to choose between keeping their job and taking care of their health when they become pregnant or seek care for infertility.

“A major tenet of Reproductive Justice is enabling everyone to raise their families in safe, healthy conditions. Black women are overrepresented in essential roles in our workforce such as home health care, childcare, retail and other services, yet those same occupations are least likely to be eligible for paid leave and other protections under current laws. We will continue to advocate for comprehensive paid leave policies so that everyone can take the time they need to care for themselves and their loved ones without having to face difficult decisions about their jobs.”

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In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda is a national-state partnership focused on lifting up the voices of Black women leaders at the national and regional levels in our fight to secure Reproductive Justice for all women, femmes, and girls. Our eight strategic partners are Black Women for Wellness, Black Women’s Health Imperative, New Voices for Reproductive Justice, SisterLove, Inc. SisterReach, SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW, The Afiya Center and Women With A Vision.