Religion-Based Discrimination Against Women
The ACLU works in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and the laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.
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What's at Stake
We are seeing instances across the country where religion is being used to discriminate against women.
In health care, we are seeing hospitals, insurance companies, pharmacies, and other health care entities discriminate against women by denying basic care—such as birth control, emergency contraception, and abortion—in the name of religion. Many of these institutions receive taxpayer funding. The ACLU works to ensure that women are not denied information and the health care they need because of the religious views of their health care providers.
In employment, we have seen a recent spate of cases in which religiously affiliated schools have fired women for getting pregnant while single or for using IVF. These cases are suggestive of a past when women were routinely pushed out of the workplace because of pregnancy. Such discrimination is now illegal, even if religiously motivated.
We are seeing instances across the country where religion is being used to discriminate against women.
In health care, we are seeing hospitals, insurance companies, pharmacies, and other health care entities discriminate against women by denying basic care—such as birth control, emergency contraception, and abortion—in the name of religion. Many of these institutions receive taxpayer funding. The ACLU works to ensure that women are not denied information and the health care they need because of the religious views of their health care providers.
In employment, we have seen a recent spate of cases in which religiously affiliated schools have fired women for getting pregnant while single or for using IVF. These cases are suggestive of a past when women were routinely pushed out of the workplace because of pregnancy. Such discrimination is now illegal, even if religiously motivated.