Dear Friend,  On behalf of the Board and staff, the California Women’s Law Center wishes you and yours a safe and healthy holiday season. And, although we remain on high alert regarding the status of the pandemic and its variants, we hope you are able to safely gather with friends and family this year.With your support, in 2021 we impacted thousands of women and families throughout California by: – Submitting 7 amicus briefs and co-signed an additional 18 amicus briefs – Holding 6 legal trainings on gender equity, domestic violence and tenants’ rights,  ..read more

“Will this institution survive the stench that this creates in the public perception that the Constitution and its reading are just political acts?” – U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument yesterday in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the first case the Court has considered on the constitutionality of a pre-viability abortion ban since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973.  Like many of you, CWLC is disheartened, although not surprised, by the comments from the Court’s conservative justices indicating their willingness ..read more

Earlier this week CWLC and our partners at The Alliance: State Advocates for Women’s Rights and Gender Equality released a new report on the deceptive practices of crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs). “Designed to Deceive: A Study of the Crisis Pregnancy Center Industry in Nine States” analyzes the activities and funding sources of CPCs which notes that despite the strong protections for reproductive healthcare in California, our state is not immune from the anti-abortion tactics outlined in the report. In fact, CPCs in the Golden State are more likely to share misleading information about abortio ..read more

CWLC is participating in a coalition of state-based law and national policy centers working to ensure equitable access to evidence-based reproductive health care and efforts to secure transparency and accountability in government-funded programs for pregnant people.  On August 27th, a piece written by CWLC and our allies was published in the BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health Journal about Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs), the anti-abortion organizations often disguise themselves as medical facilities to prevent mainly low-income people from accessing abortion services, co ..read more

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 16, 2021 CONTACT: Amy Poyer, amy.poyer@cwlc.org, 323-951-1041 LOS ANGELES, CA — California Women’s Law Center and Equal Rights Advocates, represented by Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, earlier this month filed an important amicus brief in support of the University of Southern California before the California Supreme Court in Boermeester v. Carry.  The issue before the Court is whether schools must allow cross examination of student victims of gender-based violence by the students facing expulsion. In our amicus brief, ERA and CWLC explain that&nb ..read more

The U.S. Department of Education recently released a memorandum stating that the historic Bostock v. Clayton County decision, handed down by the United States Supreme Court last June, does not prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in schools. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 bars discrimination “because of sex” in the workplace and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination “on the basis of sex” in schools. In Bostock, the Supreme Court opined that “homosexuality and transgende ..read more

As we confront the known and unknown challenges of COVID-19, we recognize life is dramatically more difficult for many people today than it was just a few weeks ago.  Women face discrimination on a daily basis and many are especially impacted by this crisis. The gender pay gap, the threat of domestic violence, and the strain of caring for children or elderly family members can add greatly to the level of anxiety and vulnerability a woman already feels for herself and her family. In addition, women are more likely to work in low-paying jobs or positions that do not offer benefits, and they ..read more

This year, we are recognizing Domestic Violence Prevention Month during a global pandemic. We know that violence against women is and has been on the rise, as cities around the country have confirmed an increase in police calls and reports. Some women have been forced to shelter-in-place with an abuser. Travel restrictions and financial constraints can limit a person’s ability to move and seek safety. Services normally available to survivors may be reduced, as shelters and other programs reach capacity or face funding cuts. And, the community support systems a woman may normally rely on can ..read more

Today is Native Women’s Equal Pay Day in the United States, which marks how far into 2020 the average Native woman must work to earn what a white man did in 2019.  Native women earned just 60 cents on the dollar last year.  While the exact amount varies, Native women are paid less no matter their education level, in rural areas and in cities, and at each stage of their lives.   While the pay gap is persistent across the country, it varies across geographic regions. In California, Native women earn only 50 cents per every dollar a white man make ..read more

“A woman’s right to choose an abortion is something central to a woman’s life, to her dignity… And when government controls that decision for her, she’s being treated as less than a full adult human being responsible for her own choices.” Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Like so many Americans, those of us at CWLC have spent the past week mourning the loss of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and reflecting with gratitude on her enormous contributions to our country. Her sharp legal mind and staunch support of the rights of women and girls made her an unparalleled champion of equality. Her presence on t ..read more