MARAL Pro-Choice Michigan Applauds MI Civil Rights Commission’s Protection of Michigan Women
For Immediate Release
Monday, August 21, 2006 MARAL Pro-Choice Michigan Applauds MI Civil Rights Commission’s Protection of Michigan WomenMUSKEGON- Today, MARAL Pro-Choice Michigan scored a major victory for Michigan women when they successfully persuaded the Michigan Civil Rights Commission to declare that women must have access to birth control in their prescription drug coverage. MARAL Pro-Choice Michigan, in coalition with twenty-three organizations that promote women’s rights, reproductive rights, civil liberties and labor interests, petitioned the Michigan Civil Rights Commission in January to issue an interpretation of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act finding that an employer’s exclusion of prescription contraception from an otherwise comprehensive employee insurance plan is an unlawful employment practice under Michigan law. Rebekah Warren, Executive Director of MARAL Pro-Choice Michigan, hailed the Commission’s ruling, “By issuing this declaratory ruling, the Commission took a major step forward toward promoting the basic healthcare needs of women in Michigan and ending gender discrimination in healthcare coverage.” Ms. Warren added, “While there is still much public debate on the issue of women’s constitutionally protected right to choose a safe and legal abortion without government interference, we should all agree on one fundamental point: preventing unintended pregnancies should be our top priority. This ruling ensuring the women of Michigan have guarantees to healthcare coverage of contraceptives is a common sense and cost-effective approach to preventing unintended pregnancies and reducing the need for abortion.” MARAL Pro-Choice Michigan was founded in 1979 as a state affiliate of the NARAL Pro-Choice America. MARAL is a statewide, non-partisan membership organization that works through the political process to guarantee every woman the right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices, including preventing unintended pregnancies, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion. Contact Kelly at 517-327-4707 for more information.
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