Fighting for Women's Equality
Fighting for Economic Justice and Fair Treatment
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Our Work

Current Advocacy

Securing Safety and Dignity of Women Workers by Combating Sexual Harassment and Other Workplace Hazards

Through impact litigation, direct services, public education and other advocacy efforts, ERA stands up for the rights of workers who experience sexual harassment in the workplace and retaliation for complaining about such discriminatory conduct.

  • Bojorquez v. ABM Industries Incorporated: In May 2012, ERA and co-counsel Villegas Carrera LLP reached a $812,000 jury verdict on behalf of Maria Bojorquez, an immigrant woman who was subjected to sexual harassment and retaliation while working as a janitor in San Francisco. Learn more about Maria’s story.
  • Know-Your-Rights Trainings for Immigrant Women: ERA is partnering with San Francisco community based organizations to provide Know-Your-Rights trainings for immigrant women workers to educate them about their rights against sexual harassment and assault in the workplace. Anyone interested in attending these trainings should call 415.575.2385 for more information.

Eliminating Hiring and Promotion Barriers for Women, including in Male-Dominated Industries

ERA takes on hiring barriers and glass ceilings to promotion in a variety of fields, including in the trades, STEM, and other male-dominated industries.

  • Women in STEM: Progress and Targets: This ERA Report takes stock of the status of women in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) as part of a series of efforts addressing gender equity issues in these often male-dominated fields.
  • ERA fights for gender equity in the trades in close partnership with Tradeswomen, Inc. ERA’s monitoring of San Francisco federal contractor sites with these other advocates has led to hiring rates that beat the national average.
  • ERA provides continuing representation and support to female firefighters who have been subjected to sex discrimination on the job. This builds on groundbreaking work to improve hiring and promotion in Davis v. City and County of San Francisco and a $2.46 million jury verdict for a female fire recruit in Maher v. County of Fresno.

Seeking Wage Justice and Equal Pay

ERA secures wage justice and advocates for equal pay and promotion opportunities for women working in retail, service, financial, agricultural and other industries.

  • ERA is prosecuting equal pay and promotion claims on behalf of the women workers at Wal-Mart in California in Dukes v. Wal-Mart. The case, amended in October 2011 to focus on California regions, alleges that Wal-Mart refused to promote women to management positions and paid them less than men equally or less qualified and experienced. Learn more. On April 15, 2013, plaintiffs filed their motion for class certification on behalf of a class of thousands of current and former female workers at Wal-Mart. Click here to find out if you are a potential class member in this action. Other regional suits are pending in Wisconsin, Florida, and Texas.
  • ERA presses for legislative reform to address the gender wage gap. See ERA Urges Congress To Pass the Paycheck Fairness Act and The Launch of ERA’s Close the Gap Campaign.
  • ERA is tackling the gender wage gap in a variety of industries and professions, including academia. Along with Bryan Schwartz Law and Campins Benham Baker LLP, ERA represented Professor Sumangala Bhattacharya as she challenged pay inequities and tenure denial by Pitzer College. The College awarded Professor Bhattacharya tenure in 2012. Learn more.

Facilitating Re-entry for Formerly Incarcerated Women into the Workforce

ERA firmly believes that women with criminal histories deserve humane and equal treatment while in prison and a fair opportunity to support their families once released. ERA is assisting women with criminal convictions re-enter the workplace. This group of women often confront barriers to professional certifications and employer bias long after they have served their sentence.

  • Through an innovative project funded by the Levi Strauss Foundation (Breaking Barriers), ERA is forging partnerships with unlikely allies in achieving this important policy goal. ERA is producing a video to give women seeking re-entry into the workforce a voice.
  • In collaboration with other organizations like the San Francisco Women’s Resource Center and the National Employment Law Project, ERA is also training women with conviction histories about their employment rights and promoting legislation and other strategies to remove professional licensing obstacles faced by women with criminal convictions. Learn more here.
  • ERA supports two bills pending in the California legislature that will assist women with criminal histories trying to find work to support themselves and their families.  Learn more and support AB 218 and AB 516.
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