Press Releases

It's Past Time to Hold the Military Justice System Itself Accountable for Sexual Assault, says NWLC

May 8, 2013

The following is a statement by Nancy Duff Campbell, Co-President of the National Women’s Law Center:

“Recent events have demonstrated that the military justice system itself is a key actor in the Department of Defense’s inability to stem the tide of sexual assaults.  The decisions by two Air Force commanding generals to overturn court martial sexual assault convictions are prime examples.  Time and again survivors of sexual assault say they are unwilling to come forward because they have no confidence in the military justice system.  According to DOD’s own figures, there were only 3, 374 actual reports of sexual assaults last year – out of an estimated 26,000 such assaults.

NWLC Supports Bill to Improve Outcomes for Pregnant and Parenting Students

May 7, 2013

(Washington, DC)  Today, the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) announced its support for the Pregnant and Parenting Students’ Access to Education Act, which was just introduced in the Senate by Senators Tom Udall (D-NM ) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and in the House by Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO). This bill will target the educational and related needs of pregnant and parenting teens to improve the graduation rates and chances of success for those students and their children.

Largest School District in Nevada Agrees to Add Athletics Opportunities for Girls in Response to National Women's Law Center Complaint

May 7, 2013

(Washington, D.C.) In response to a complaint filed by the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has found that girls in Nevada’s Clark County School District, the most populous county in the state, are not receiving equal opportunities to play sports, in violation of Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded schools.  The investigation revealed district-wide disparities of 2 to 22 percentage points between girls’ enrollment and the share of athletic participation opportunities provided to them in the district’s 36 schools. These gaps represent a total of 2,613 additional opportunities needed to level the playing field for female students.  Based on the information provided by the district, girls were underrepresented in the interscholastic athletics program at all but one of the high schools for which the district provided enrollment and athletic participation data for the 2009-2010 school year.

Adult Women’s Unemployment Hits Four-Year Low Despite April’s Tepid Job Growth, NWLC Analysis Shows

May 3, 2013

(Washington, D.C.)  Adult women’s unemployment rate declined to 6.7 percent in April, the lowest rate since January 2009, according to new analysis by the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) of data released this morning by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  This decline occurred in a month of slow growth where the economy added 165,000 jobs, 71 percent of which were women’s jobs.  All of April’s gains were in the private sector – women’s public sector employment was flat while men lost 11,000 public sector jobs last month.

City University of New York Settles Pregnant Student's Discrimination Complaint Initiated by NWLC

May 1, 2013

(Washington, D.C.) Today, the City University of New York (CUNY) agreed to settle a pregnancy discrimination complaint that the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) recently filed against it on behalf of 27-year-old CUNY student Stephanie Stewart and to uphold the legal rights of students who are pregnant or are already raising children.  The settlement will protect the rights of tens of thousands of parents and pregnant students in this sprawling New York City college system.

Florida Hospital and Pregnant Worker Settle Discrimination Complaint Filed by NWLC

May 1, 2013

(Washington, D.C.)  Tallahassee Memorial Hospital and Amy Crosby, a 30-year-old pregnant hospital cleaner in Tallahassee, Florida, have amicably resolved a complaint filed on Crosby’s behalf by the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) last month with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).  Crosby was forced to take unpaid leave when the hospital refused to accommodate her doctor’s request that she not lift more than 20 pounds because of her pregnancy.

FDA Announces Continued Age Restrictions on Emergency Contraception, Contrary to Court Ruling

April 30, 2013

 (Washington, D.C.) This afternoon, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that emergency contraception, or the “morning-after pill,” must be made available over the counter for girls aged 15 or over, despite a federal court ruling earlier this month that the pill should be available over the counter to girls and women of all ages. The FDA had originally said that emergency contraception should be available without prescription for all ages, but the Secretary of Health and Human Services overruled it and made the morning-after pill available over the counter for girls age 17 and over. The FDA also announced today that anyone who wants to buy the morning-after pill must show an ID with proof of age and that it is restricting its sale to retail stores that have pharmacies.

NWLC Lauds Qunnipiac University's Settlement of Title IX Lawsuit and Commitment to Increase Athletic Opportunities for Women

April 26, 2013

(Washington, D.C.)  The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) applauds the settlement announced today in the Title IX class action lawsuit Biediger, et al v. Quinnipiac University.  Quinnipiac has agreed to retain all of its women’s teams (including volleyball, which it had previously dropped and attempted to replace with competitive cheerleading), provide more scholarships to female athletes, and improve the overall benefits provided to its women’s teams.   

Peace Corps Equity Act Expands Access to Needed Reproductive Health Care

April 25, 2013

(Washington, D.C.) The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) today applauded the introduction of the Peace Corps Equity Act (PCEA) by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D – N.J.). This important legislation will ensure that women serving in the Peace Corps can receive needed reproductive health care in cases of rape and incest and when the woman’s life is at risk.

National Women's Law Center Applauds Introduction of MARCH Act for Military Women

April 23, 2013

(Washington, D.C.) The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) today applauded the introduction of the Military Access to Reproductive Care and Health (MARCH) for Military Women Act by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D – N.Y.). This legislation would address a long-standing inequity faced by military women seeking abortion services.