Woman Between Islam and Western Society
4. The Problems Facing Modern Civilization
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Supreme Court, gave his ruling in January, 1987,
that the state requires an employer to provide
special job protection for workers temporarily
disabled by pregnancy.
This ruling triggered a tremendous controversy. On
the one hand, women are happy that they have
secured the protection of the law for the bearing
and rearing of children. On the other hand, serious
American thinkers maintain that this ruling will
harm the cause of women.
The debate over pregnancy leave has thus created a
deep rift among feminists. One side argues that
pregnancy leave, even though it benefits individual
women, poses a general danger to female workers
because it singles them out for special protection.
Historically, they point out, such privileged
treatment has eventually led to discrimination
against
women, says Marsha Levick of the National
Organization for Women’s Legal Defense and
Education Fund: “That almost always backfires.”
Don Butler, President of the Los Angeles-based
Merchants and Manufacturers Association, said that
the decision “spells disaster.” To this he added:
