photo

Women’s Rights

Fighting to promote gender justice and ensure that all women in California have equitable rights, including the right to body autonomy.

Now, more than ever, California must continue to be a safe haven for women and set the example for our country on how to lead and put forward policies that advance, not regress, women’s rights.
Tiffany Germain

Tiffany GermainResearch & Policy Advisor

Words matter to us here at NextGen Policy

And that’s why we respectfully recognize “women” as an inclusive term that encompasses all self-identifying individuals as such, with recognition to the non-binary and transgender experience.

Big Legislative Wins!

★ SB 345 (Skinner)

NextGen California was a proud supporter of SB 345 (Skinner), which was signed into law in 2023, and expands CA’s landmark protections in both reproductive healthcare and gender-affirming care. The bill allowed CA healthcare providers to: (1) prescribe medications that are safe and effective for patients, regardless of where the patient is located; (2) provide gender-affirming care and deliver that care regardless of where the patient is located; and (3) bring suit in California against anyone who interferes with a healthcare provider’s right to deliver care that is legal in California.

★ SB 54 (Skinner)

NextGen California was a proud supporter of SB 54 (Skinner), which was signed into law in 2023, and provides greater transparency into venture capital (VC) investments in California. The bill will help more women- and minority-owned startups access vital VC funding – the first such transparency measure in the nation.

★ SCA 10 (Atkins)

NextGen California was a proud supporter of SCA 10, which was signed into law in 2022, and placed the constitutional amendment, Proposition 1, on the ballot. Proposition 1 allowed California voters to decide whether to enshrine the right to abortion and contraceptives in the California Constitution. The measure passed overwhelmingly and these rights are now fully protected in our state.

★ SB 1162 (Limon)

NextGen California was a proud supporter of SB 1162 (Limon), the Pay Transparency for Pay Equity Act, which was signed into law in 2022.  The bill combats gender and race-based pay disparities by requiring more information about salary ranges on public job postings and expanding existing pay data reporting requirements, especially for contract workers. The law will help to gather the data necessary to better understand pay gaps in our state and ensure California can lead on pay transparency and pay equity.

★ AB 1455 (Wicks)

NextGen California was a proud supporter of AB 1455 (Wicks), which was signed into law in 2021 and extended the statute of limitations for victims who were sexually assaulted by law enforcement officers who were on duty, in uniform, or armed when the alleged crime occurred. Reported numbers of sexual assault fail to capture the actual number of incidents as the process of reporting sexual assault by a law enforcement officer can be harrowing, especially when victims feel intimidated by an attacker in a position of power or that their allegations will not be viewed as legitimate. This is an extremely under-reported epidemic that disproportionately impacts low-income women of color.

★ SB 352 (Eggman)

NextGen California was a proud supporter of SB 352 (Eggman), which was signed into law in 2021 and established sexual harassment as a stand-alone crime in California’s incorporation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.  The bill , holds military perpetrators of sexual harassment criminally liable and aldo makes sex crime data committed by military personnel publicly available. SB 352 was a model law for the nation as shortly after it was signed into law by Governor Newsom, President Biden signed an Executive Order designating sexual harassment a stand-alone crime under the United States’ military’s judicial code.

 

Women's Issue Area Resources

Get Women's Rights Alerts

Stay connected with us & let’s work together to fight the injustices that plague our state.