Women's Rights

The ACLU's Women's Rights Project was co-founded in 1972 by Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Through litigation, community outreach, advocacy and public education, the ACLU Women’s Rights Project empowers poor women, women of color and immigrant women who have been victimized by gender bias and face pervasive barriers to equality.

Sex Segregation Won’t Fix the Racial Achievement Gap in Madison: Letter Issued to School District Outlines Concerns over Legality of Sex-Segregated Charter School Proposal
Wednesday November 9, 2011
The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin continues to oppose sex segregation in a proposal for a charter school that will be considered by the Madison Metropolitan School District later this month. This week, the ACLU issued a letter to the school board outlining its concerns with the research and legal justifications for single-sex education in the Madison Preparatory Academy plan. The ACLU agrees that students of color in Madison deserve better educational options. However, as coeducation is not the cause of the racial achievement gap, it isn’t a reasonable solution.
Press Release: 11/9/2011 – Sex Segregation Won’t Fix the Racial Achievement Gap in Madison
Letter to school district: 11/7/2011 – Madison School Board Letter of Concern Madison Prep
Analysis: 10/28/2011 – Single-gender education studies cited in Madison Prep proposal, Dr. Janet Hyde, University of Wisconsin Madison, Professor of psychology, gender and women's studies
Article: From the journal Science: The Pseudoscience of Single-Sex Schooling, Sept. 22, 2011

ACLU of Wisconsin opposes proposal for sex-segregated charter school in Madison
Letter: 12/16/2010 – Letter to Madison Metro School Board, Dan Nerad Superintendent

ACLU of WI Wins Lawsuit Over Deficient Health are in WI Women’s Prisons
Thursday August 20, 2010
The ACLU of Wisconsin has filed papers seeking court approval of an agreement to settle a longstanding class-action lawsuit charging that grossly deficient medical and mental health care jeopardized the lives of female prisoners at the state’s largest women’s prison. As part of the agreement, state officials have agreed to implement a number of significant structural improvements aimed at ensuring that female prisoners receive the same levels of mental health care as the state’s male prisoners. “Today’s settlement is a real victory for all female prisoners at TCI who will no longer have to suffer needlessly in a system that fails to comply with the requirements of the U.S. Constitution,” said Gabriel Eber, staff attorney with the ACLU National Prison Project. “This settlement will lead to dramatic improvements in the quality of health care prisoners will receive.” Read more…
Press Release: 8/20/2010 - ACLU Settles Lawsuit Charging Inadequate Care at Wisconsin Women’s Prison

In Honor of Mother's Day, Do Mom a Favor - Take Action to Ratify CEDAW for Women's Equality Worldwide
Sunday May 9, 2010
Happy Mother's Day from the ACLU of Wisconsin! Today, you can do your mom and women around the world a favor. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is a proposed international treaty dedicated to gender equality and while the U.S. played a major role in drafting the treaty and President Carter signed it in 1980, we are one of only seven countries that has not ratified it. For the first time there is a strategic, well-resourced coalition leading the ratification effort, and we have strong support within the current administration and the U.S. Senate. But getting 67 Senators to vote yes to ratification won’t be easy and we will need your help over the next 5-7 months. Contact your U.S. Senators and urge them to support CEDAW. Read more...
Video: Young people from Milwaukee created this video to help spread the word

For more resources and information on the ACLU’s work on women’s rights across the nation, please visit the ACLU’s women’s rights webpage.