Apr 2nd, 2009
Posted by Selene Kaye, Women's Rights Project at 11:50am	Women's Rights

A Timely New Book for the Ongoing Fight for Gender Equality

Coinciding with the start of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the fully revised and updated fourth edition of The Rights of Women was released this week. The latest release in the ACLU Handbook Series, The Rights of Women is a comprehensive guide that explains in detail the rights that women and girls have under U.S. law, and how these laws can be used in the continuing struggle to achieve full gender equality. One chapter is dedicated to the issue of violence against women, including sexual assault.

When the first edition of The Rights of Women was published in 1973, many laws existed that treated women and men differently. Today, while few laws explicitly treat men and women differently, the rights established by court decisions and by legislation are still not fully realized by all women in the United States. Especially for the most marginalized women—poor women, women of color, immigrant women—those rights are still far from a reality. Thus, the fight for women's rights remains critical.

Sexual assault, domestic violence, trafficking, pay inequity, the treatment of women and girls in prison, restrictions on reproductive freedom, and sex discrimination in education — these are all pressing civil rights issues facing women and girls today. And it is precisely in addressing issues like these that The Rights of Women can serve as a valuable tool for individuals, lawyers, and advocates seeking to assert women's and girls' rights under the law.

The Rights of Women — coauthored by the ACLU Women's Rights Project's Director, Lenora Lapidus, Deputy Director, Emily Martin, and former Staff Attorney, Namita Luthra — explores the concept of equal protection and covers topics including employment, education, housing, criminal justice, family law, and public accommodations, and examines the specific issues of trafficking, violence against women, welfare reform, and reproductive freedom.

Learn more about The Rights of Women and the ACLU's efforts to protect women's and girls' rights.

Permalink |	Women's Rights

1. Paen Says:
   Apr 3rd, 2009 at 1:52pm

   Good work A.C.l.U.I hope this book gets
   used well and often.

2. Maggie Says:
   Apr 7th, 2009 at 7:45am

   I have heard that some States are considering to OK the use of the Saharia Law? Do you know if that is true? And what does the ACLU plan to do about it???? I am looking forward to reading the book but I hope the ACLU will fight this law that mainly is used against women and girls.

3. mike melley Says:
   Apr 9th, 2009 at 2:27am

   I beleive since the JFK administration, A president that not only gave americans hope but the whole world fell in love with him because of his beleifs. That's why he was killed, he gave people hope. There has not been another one like him. AS a fact just the opposite. This country has done an about face since JFK. If you look at the direction he wanted to take america in the 1960"s, and the direction that we have taken, it's know wonder other countrys hve either caught or passed us in areas as health care education standard of living and so on. The republicans have done all they can to keep the majority of americans in line low pay no health care or unaffordable, unaffordable education no home ownership for working adults, the homeless population continues to grow. The government had to step in to divide up the oil industry that at one time was owned by either one or two people in the US. the same as the phone industry, which neither has had much of an impact on competition and lower prices because all they do is gobble up the competition. The system has not worked because of greed, fraud money and power. We need MORE GOVURMENT INTERVENTION not less. Does anyone think your going to get a fare shake if left up to the private sector, it hasn't happened yet and never will. If President Obama continues bussines as usual then the US better get prepaired for the next american revolution. I think this is our last chance to set things on the right course, President Clinton had eight years to change even thou he was better then his predicessors and bush, he did not accomplish much to speak of, because of being sidetracked by the republicans dirty tricks and their prioritys of bringing down his administration. The republican party and their supporters are the biggest threat to america, and they need to be stopped before it's to late.

4. Jerry Says:
   Apr 11th, 2009 at 5:54pm

   Why does the ACLU fight against rightness with evil? I just can't understand this. American Civil Liberties Union, was founded for intentions of protecting rightness. What has happened?

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