September 6, 2023

Take Action NOW!

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has determined that the Pregnant Worker’s Fairness Act (PWFA) should include abortion as a medical condition requiring employers to accommodate—despite clear statements by our duly elected legislators that abortion would not be included in the Act.

FFL President Serrin Foster writes to the EEOC challenging their proposed rule interpretation:

To Whom It May Concern:

Initially, Feminists for Life of America was concerned that the Pregnant Women’s Fairness Act (PWFA) was a Trojan horse and that “other medical conditions” would include abortion.

Despite reassurances by those who sponsored the bill, Sen. Casey (D-PA) and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), you have proven us right as noted by Politico. By not accepting the intentions of the PWFA authors, the EEOC will further divide those on both sides of the abortion debate, thus rendering useless our shared solutions to the challenges women face. 

Perhaps those in EEOC who reviewed the bill are rightfully concerned over the dangers of abortion that could require additional time off such as a woman having her uterus punctured—or her cervix torn resulting in future miscarriages.

Or perhaps the EEOC considers the mental harm of a woman or teen seeing the aftermath of a newly formed human being in the toilet from the use of Mifepristone and Misoprostol, and even more developed body parts from later term surgical abortions. 

Many of today’s pro-lifers are women who have personally experienced these traumas and would attest that they need much longer than a few days off to recover. We share their concerns, too, but this is not the answer. Resources, support, and protections are.

If this government wants to truly support women, we need to prioritize the maternal mortality rates of women of color who have the highest rate of death, women in tribal lands and rural areas who can no longer find an OB or maternity ward—especially as the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform predicts two hundred rural hospitals will close this year. 

FFL asks the EEOC to remove abortion from the definitions under Section 1636.3(c), as terminating the lives of unborn human beings was clearly never intended by Congress. Putting additional pressure on women not to “inconvenience” their employer with their pregnancy is counter to being fair to mothers or their children. 

Because women deserve better,

Serrin M. Foster
President
Feminists for Life of America
FeministsForLife.org
WomenDeserveBetter.com

CALL TO ACTION: YOU can make a difference by submitting your comments to the EEOC. Tell them that Congress rightfully agreed to keep abortion out of the PWFA, and that abortion is not a solution to the challenges pregnant women face in the workplace. Women deserve better than abortion.

Let us know you made a comment by emailing us a copy at info@feministsforlife.org then please share this email with everyone you know!

Public comments regarding this proposal must be received by the Commission on or before October 10, 2023. Click here to submit your comment online.