http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/feed.xml Visit ACLU.org to learn more and get involved. en-us 10 2009-07-02T01:20:19-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/reproductiverights/gen/40081prs20090630.html?s_src=RSS MIAMI – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida announces the release of The Legal Guide for Pregnant Teens in Florida, an all-inclusive resource for teens about their legal rights as pregnant and parenting minors. The guide is the result of collaborative work by several organizations and individuals, and is designed to address many of the issues faced by pregnant teens in Florida. http://www.aclu.org/reproductiverights/gen/40081prs20090630.html 2009-06-30T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/racialjustice/aa/40052prs20090627.html?s_src=RSS JEFFERSON CITY, MO – A Missouri circuit court judge late Friday struck down a proposed ballot initiative aimed at amending the state's constitution to outlaw equal opportunity programs in the state. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit last December charging that an anti-affirmative action ballot initiative proposed by Timothy Asher and the Missouri Civil Rights Initiative should not be circulated for signatures because it violates the Missouri Constitution by seeking to trick and defraud the state's voters in attempting to ban an array of equal opportunity programs. http://www.aclu.org/racialjustice/aa/40052prs20090627.html 2009-06-27T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/gen/39805prs20090609.html?s_src=RSS WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union marks the 46th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act with a call for the Senate to pass S. 182, the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill that gives employees the legal tools needed to fight wage discrimination. Forty-six years ago tomorrow – on June 10, 1963, President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act, a law that prohibits wage discrimination. Unfortunately, over the last few decades, loopholes and weak remedies have watered down the Act’s effectiveness. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/gen/39805prs20090609.html 2009-06-09T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/violence/39745prs20090602.html?s_src=RSS MONTGOMERY, AL – A federal court in Alabama ordered that a real estate agent and the owner of rental units the agent managed in Montgomery, Alabama, must pay damages to a low-income renter for sexual harassment. The agent had repeatedly tried to coerce the renter into having sex with him and then raised her rent and attempted to evict her when she refused. The ruling from the U.S. District Court in the Middle District of Alabama came late yesterday. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/violence/39745prs20090602.html 2009-06-02T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/39655prs20090521.html?s_src=RSS WASHINGTON – Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) announced today that they will take the lead on the fight to pass of S. 182, the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill that gives employees the tools to fight illegal wage disparities. Senators Dodd and Mikulski made this announcement with Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and other advocates at a press conference at the Senate Visitor’s Center. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/39655prs20090521.html 2009-05-21T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/freespeech/gen/39572prs20090512.html?s_src=RSS NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union and the Public Patent Foundation, a not-for-profit organization affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law (PUBPAT), filed a lawsuit today charging that patents on two human genes associated with breast and ovarian cancer stifle research that could lead to cures and limit women's options regarding their medical care. Mutations along the genes, known as BRCA1 and BRCA2, are responsible for most cases of hereditary breast and ovarian cancers. The lawsuit argues that the patents on these genes are unconstitutional and invalid. http://www.aclu.org/freespeech/gen/39572prs20090512.html 2009-05-12T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/edu/39551prs20090508.html?s_src=RSS ASHVILLE, AL – The St. Clair County School System in Alabama has agreed to stop sex segregation in public schools after being notified by the American Civil Liberties Union that sex segregated programs are illegal and discriminatory. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/edu/39551prs20090508.html 2009-05-08T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/39506prs20090430.html?s_src=RSS WASHINGTON – American Civil Liberties Union Legislative Counsel Deborah J. Vagins, along with Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and leaders in the women’s and business community, briefed Senate staffers today on S. 182, the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill to give working women the legal tools they need to challenge pay discrimination. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/39506prs20090430.html 2009-04-30T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/gen/39479prs20090427.html?s_src=RSS WASHINGTON – To mark Equal Pay Day tomorrow, April 28, the American Civil Liberties Union calls for the passage of a strong law to eradicate pay discrimination against women. On a day meant to raise awareness about the continuing pay gap between the genders, members of the ACLU plan to ask their Senators in emails, calls and letters to pass a bill addressing pay discrimination, known as S. 182, the Paycheck Fairness Act. This legislation would provide a much needed update to the Equal Pay Act of 1963, by closing loopholes and strengthening its weak remedies over 45 years. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/gen/39479prs20090427.html 2009-04-27T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/edu/39131prs20090325.html?s_src=RSS MOBILE, AL – The Mobile County School System has agreed to stop sex segregation in public schools after being notified by the American Civil Liberties Union that its sex segregated programs were illegal and discriminatory. Late last evening, the Board of School Commissioners of Mobile County approved a settlement agreement changing the policy. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/edu/39131prs20090325.html 2009-03-25T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/38946prs20090306.html?s_src=RSS NEW YORK – Under a new policy announced today, women in the New York National Guard serving on a state active duty task force will no longer be required to take mandatory pregnancy tests or face dismissal from the force if they become pregnant. Instead, they will be treated the same as men who become injured or disabled during a state active duty mission. The change occurred in response to objections raised by the American Civil Liberties Union and the New York Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU's New York State affiliate. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/38946prs20090306.html 2009-03-06T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/38584prs20090129.html?s_src=RSS WASHINGTON – Today the American Civil Liberties Union applauds President Barack Obama’s speedy enactment of legislation reversing the Supreme Court ruling in Ledbetter v. Goodyear, in which employees lost their right to their day in court for ongoing wage discrimination. Less than 48 hours ago, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Senate approved version of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act by a vote of 250-177, sending the bill to President Obama’s desk. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/38584prs20090129.html 2009-01-29T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/38529prs20090127.html?s_src=RSS WASHINGTON – Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed, by a vote of 250-177, S. 181, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, a bill that restores an employee’s ability to bring a claim of wage discrimination as long as her employer continues unlawfully to pay her less than her co-workers. This legislation re-establishes rights virtually stripped away by the Supreme Court case Ledbetter v. Goodyear, which denied most workers their day in court to battle pay discrimination. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/38529prs20090127.html 2009-01-27T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/38462prs20090122.html?s_src=RSS WASHINGTON – Today, by a vote of 61 to 36, the Senate passed S. 181, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, a bill that clarifies the legal time limits for employees to fight pay discrimination. The American Civil Liberties Union applauded passage of the bill without any amendments, which would have weakened employee safeguards. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/38462prs20090122.html 2009-01-22T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/gen/38440prs20090121.html?s_src=RSS WASHINGTON – Tonight, as the Senate resumes consideration of a bill that clarifies the legal time limits for employees to fight pay discrimination, the America Civil Liberties Union calls on senators to vote for a clean bill without any amendments watering down worker protections. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/gen/38440prs20090121.html 2009-01-21T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/38347prs20090115.html?s_src=RSS WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate invoked cloture on a bill that clarifies the legal time limits for employees to challenge wage discrimination. Senators advanced the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, S. 181, by a vote of 72-23. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/38347prs20090115.html 2009-01-15T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/38331prs20090114.html?s_src=RSS WASHINGTON – Today, in advance of a Senate vote taking place as soon as tomorrow, the American Civil Liberties Union sent senators a letter urging passage of a bill that clarifies the legal time limits for employees to fight pay discrimination. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/38331prs20090114.html 2009-01-14T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/38276prs20090109.html?s_src=RSS WASHINGTON – Today, as one of its first orders of business, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.R. 11, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and H.R. 12, the Paycheck Fairness Act – a pay equity legislative package that helps employees to combat wage discrimination. The vote counts were 247-171 and 256-163, respectively. The ACLU urges swift action on these bills in the Senate. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/38276prs20090109.html 2009-01-09T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/38241prs20090107.html?s_src=RSS WASHINGTON – Ahead of the numerous economic indicators set to be released this week – including December payroll figures – all of which are expected to show a worsening US economy, the ACLU sent a letter to Congress urging speedy passage of a pay equity legislative package that gives employees tools to fight unfair wage disparities. This week, the House of Representatives is expected to vote on H.R. 11, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and H.R. 12, the Paycheck Fairness Act. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/38241prs20090107.html 2009-01-07T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/edu/38103prs20081215.html?s_src=RSS http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/edu/38103prs20081215.html 2008-12-15T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/38058prs20081211.html?s_src=RSS WASHINGTON – -- The American Civil Liberties Union applauds last night’s passage of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, which, if signed by President Bush, would take great strides towards preventing the abuse, exploitation and trafficking of domestic workers employed by foreign diplomats in the United States. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/38058prs20081211.html 2008-12-11T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/edu/37738prs20081112.html?s_src=RSS MOBILE, AL – After hearing from outraged parents of students who, without notice, were involuntarily segregated by sex at Hankins Middle School in Mobile, Alabama, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Alabama sent a letter to the Mobile County School System today warning that mandatory sex segregation in public schools is illegal and discriminatory. The civil liberties organization also asked, under the Alabama Open Records Act, that the school district make public any and all documents relating to sex segregation policies in Mobile County schools from the past two years. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/edu/37738prs20081112.html 2008-11-12T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/gen/37676prs20081103.html?s_src=RSS ORANGE, CA -- San Bernardino County agreed today to institute policies that accommodate the First Amendment right to wear religious head scarves in jail. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/gen/37676prs20081103.html 2008-11-03T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/violence/37313prs20081022.html?s_src=RSS WASHINGTON – In the first case brought by a survivor of domestic violence against the U.S. before an international human rights tribunal, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) will hear testimony today by Jessica Lenahan (formerly Gonzales), whose three daughters were kidnapped by her estranged husband and killed. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/violence/37313prs20081022.html 2008-10-22T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/reproductiverights/gen/36945prs20080926.html?s_src=RSS WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union and all its state affiliates, including Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico, submitted comments to the Department of Health and Human Services asking the administration to rescind regulations that could seriously undermine access to reproductive health services, including birth control and abortion. http://www.aclu.org/reproductiverights/gen/36945prs20080926.html 2008-09-26T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/parenting/36911prs20080924.html?s_src=RSS WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union will submit comments tomorrow to the Department of Health and Human Services asking the administration to stop regulations that could seriously undermine access to reproductive health services, including birth control and abortion. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/parenting/36911prs20080924.html 2008-09-24T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/crimjustice/36639prs20080904.html?s_src=RSS TRENTON – Nine months after the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit challenging the transfer of women prisoners from Edna Mahan Correctional Facility, the state's prison for women, to New Jersey State Prison (NJSP), a men's supermax prison, the Department of Corrections (DOC) has transferred the women back to the women's prison. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/crimjustice/36639prs20080904.html 2008-09-04T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/36553prs20080825.html?s_src=RSS Washington, DC – Pay equity pioneer Lilly Ledbetter, whose landmark Supreme Court case Ledbetter v. Goodyear ignited a firestorm of debate over the need for stronger protections against wage discrimination, will address the 2008 Democratic National Convention on Women’s Equality Day – Tuesday, August 26. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/36553prs20080825.html 2008-08-25T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/gen/36230prs20080731.html?s_src=RSS Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union hailed today’s Senate Judiciary Committee markup of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (TVPRA) as an important step in ending the persistent exploitation and enslavement of domestic workers by foreign diplomats. The provisions in the TVPRA will help put in place important mechanisms that can prevent exploitation by providing domestic workers with critical information, creating a monitoring system, training consular officers who issue visas and requiring an employment contract between the worker and employer. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/gen/36230prs20080731.html 2008-07-31T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/36226prs20080731.html?s_src=RSS Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union urges the House of Representatives to pass H.R. 1338, the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would amend the Equal Pay Act, one of the most important laws addressing pay discrimination. The bill, with 230 co-sponsors to date, would strengthen and improve the effectiveness of the Equal Pay Act by requiring employers to demonstrate that differences in wages among employees are not based on gender, strengthening penalties for equal pay violations, bolstering the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) ability to handle pay discrimination cases, and requiring the EEOC to develop regulations directing employers to collect wage data, reported by race, sex and national origin, of employees. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/36226prs20080731.html 2008-07-31T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/crimjustice/36121prs20080724.html?s_src=RSS TRENTON – In three separate opinions today totaling 77 pages, the New Jersey Superior Court stopped the Department of Corrections (DOC) from transferring any more women prisoners to the New Jersey State Prison (NJSP), a men's Supermax prison, for the duration of an ongoing legal battle over previous unlawful transfers. The court also granted the women's request to pursue their claims as a class action. In addition, the court denied a motion by the DOC, brought on five separate legal grounds, to dismiss the women prisoners' complaint, and also rejected the DOC's motion to terminate the case. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/crimjustice/36121prs20080724.html 2008-07-24T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/crimjustice/35637prs20080612.html?s_src=RSS AUSTIN, TX - The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Texas filed a class action lawsuit today on behalf of five girls – all of whom have histories of sexual, physical, or emotional abuse – held in the Brownwood State School. Brownwood is a "high security" youth prison located in central Texas and operated by the Texas Youth Commission (TYC), the state's juvenile corrections agency. The ACLU charges that TYC subjects the girls to unwarranted solitary confinement, routine strip searches and brutal physical force. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/crimjustice/35637prs20080612.html 2008-06-12T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/edu/35391prs20080519.html?s_src=RSS LOUISVILLE, KY - On behalf of five families, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Kentucky filed an amended complaint in federal court today charging that segregating classes by sex in Breckinridge County Middle School is illegal and discriminatory. The ACLU's lawsuit expands a previous lawsuit filed by a private attorney against the Breckinridge County School District and other county entities to include the U.S. Department of Education. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/edu/35391prs20080519.html 2008-05-19T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/35006prs20080423.html?s_src=RSS Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union expressed its extreme disappointment in the Senate’s failure to address H.R. 2831, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. The bill failed to garner the 60 votes necessary to avoid a filibuster and compel a floor vote. The goal of the Fair Pay Act was to restore the right of American workers to seek justice if they find themselves subject to wage discrimination, a right jeopardized by the 2007 Supreme Court decision Ledbetter v. Goodyear. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/35006prs20080423.html 2008-04-23T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/34992prs20080423.html?s_src=RSS Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union reiterated its strong support for H.R. 2831, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which is being debated on the Senate floor today and is slated for a vote this evening. This legislation is aimed at restoring the right of American workers to seek justice if they find themselves subject to wage discrimination, a right jeopardized by the 2007 Supreme Court decision Ledbetter v. Goodyear. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/34992prs20080423.html 2008-04-23T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/edu/35337prs20080410.html?s_src=RSS TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida sent a letter to Governor Charlie Crist yesterday strongly urging that he veto the Legislature's flawed plan, which would open the door to segregating students by sex in Florida's public schools. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/edu/35337prs20080410.html 2008-04-10T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/edu/34804prs20080407.html?s_src=RSS GREENSBORO, GA -In a letter sent today to the Greene County School District, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Georgia requested that the school district make public any and all plans to segregate Greene County schools by sex. The request - made under Georgia's Open Records Act - includes all policies, memoranda, letters, emails, directives, minutes, handbooks, and all other documents in the school district's possession from the past two years addressing sex-segregation. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/edu/34804prs20080407.html 2008-04-07T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/gen/34654prs20080326.html?s_src=RSS TRENTON – The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of New Jersey filed court papers today requesting that the New Jersey Superior Court impose sanctions against the New Jersey Department of Corrections (DOC) for witness tampering, official misconduct and violations of court rules. The ACLU’s motion for sanctions charges that the DOC obtained false and misleading statements from women prisoners about conditions in the prison in an attempt to defend the prison against claims of inhumane treatment. A female prisoner who exposed the DOC’s misconduct reports being beaten as a result. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/gen/34654prs20080326.html 2008-03-26T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/violence/34637prs20080325.html?s_src=RSS NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union and Columbia Law School's Human Rights Clinic filed a merits brief with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) detailing their charges that the U.S. broke international law in violating the human rights of a domestic violence survivor. The brief was filed on behalf of Jessica Lenahan (formerly Gonzales), whose three daughters were kidnapped by her estranged husband and killed, and whose domestic violence protection claims were rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/violence/34637prs20080325.html 2008-03-25T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/violence/34426prs20080311.html?s_src=RSS Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties today called on Congress to examine the failure of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to fully implement the requirements of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) as it relates to victims of domestic violence. The House Financial Services Committee and Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee are slated to begin oversight hearings of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) this week. The ACLU urges these committees to ask HUD why it leaves battered women and children out in the cold. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/violence/34426prs20080311.html 2008-03-11T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/gen/34235prs20080227.html?s_src=RSS MYSTIC, CT – In a victory for gender equality, a Connecticut Superior Court ruled that a local social club can no longer ban women from membership. The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Connecticut on behalf of Sam Corcoran, who was denied membership in the German Social Society Frohsinn, Inc. because she is a woman. The court upheld an appellate court’s ruling that the social club was a public accommodation - not a private club - and subject to Connecticut’s civil rights laws banning discrimination. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/gen/34235prs20080227.html 2008-02-27T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/violence/34213prs20080226.html?s_src=RSS DETROIT – A groundbreaking settlement agreement finalized today between a domestic violence survivor, a private housing complex and a property management company offers victims of domestic violence, stalking, date rape and sexual assault far reaching protections from eviction and discrimination. This is the first settlement of its kind that applies to private housing. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/violence/34213prs20080226.html 2008-02-26T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/gen/33776prs20080124.html?s_src=RSS Washington, DC – The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee held a hearing today on S. 1843, the “Fair Pay Restoration Act,” which would ensure that victims of workplace discrimination receive effective remedies. The bill’s companion measure, H.R. 2831, passed the House of Representatives in July, 2007. The ACLU urges the committee to support S. 1843 in order to fix a recent Supreme Court decision that undermines protections against discrimination in compensation that have been bedrock principles of civil rights laws for decades. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/gen/33776prs20080124.html 2008-01-24T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/gen/33156prs20071212.html?s_src=RSS NEWARK - In dual actions challenging the incarceration of 40 women in a men’s maximum security prison, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of New Jersey filed a civil rights lawsuit and joined more than a dozen other advocacy organizations in support of the women at a demonstration in front of the prison. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/gen/33156prs20071212.html 2007-12-12T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/gen/33014prs20071206.html?s_src=RSS LOS ANGELES— A 29-year-old Muslim woman who was forced by deputies to remove her religious head covering while she was in custody in San Bernardino County’s West Valley Detention Center, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court Wednesday asserting that her religious freedom rights were violated under the First Amendment by San Bernardino county sheriff’s deputies. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/gen/33014prs20071206.html 2007-12-06T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/32783prs20071115.html?s_src=RSS NEW YORK –Domestic workers who were exploited and abused in the U.S. by foreign diplomats petitioned an international commission today because U.S. domestic law denies them their rights and a way to seek justice. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/employ/32783prs20071115.html 2007-11-15T12:00:00-05:00 http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/gen/32234prs20071018.html?s_src=RSS Washington, DC – Modern-day slavery exists in the shadows, but it is alive and well, said witnesses today at a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on the reauthorization of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. The American Civil Liberties Union is urging Congress to add new safeguards that prevent the abuse, exploitation and trafficking of domestic employees by foreign diplomats and to remove the shield of diplomatic immunity that prevents these victims from holding the diplomats accountable. http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/gen/32234prs20071018.html 2007-10-18T12:00:00-05:00 CrownPeak CMS