Domestic violence is gun violence, Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, and rescinding the Title X gag rule: Your civic action to-do list for 5-16-21

This week's edition of 3-2-1 Action comes early as JWI will be closed in observance of Shavuot tomorrow and Tuesday. We wish you a happy, healthy holiday.

To commemorate Shavuot, we are sharing our holiday guide: "Rethinking Shavuot: Women, Relationships & Jewish Texts." These clergy resources draws from the biblical story of Ruth, the heroine of this holiday, and midrash and modern commentary to start interesting conversations about healthy relationships. 

We are also sharing a recording of the Pew Research Foundation's compelling virtual panel presentation, Jewish Americans in 2020: Cultural engagement, diversity, politics and anti-Semitism, which JWI CEO Meredith Jacobs moderated.


3. Domestic violence is gun violence, and last weekend's mass shooting in Colorado Springs showed once again that intimate partner abuse has deadly repercussions for women and their communities. However, national media largely failed to frame the shooting in the context of gender-based violence.

In a nutshell: Firearm access makes it 500% more likely that an abusive partner will kill his female victim. We need Congress to close the boyfriend loophole to prevent dating violence perpetrators from accessing guns and make other key investments in violence prevention.

Take action: The House of Representatives already passed the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021, and it’s time for the Senate to pass a substantially similar bill to protect all survivors, prevent abusers from accessing guns, and combat gender-based violence. Tell your senators!


2. No one should have to choose between a healthy pregnancy and collecting a paycheck. The House of Representatives passed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to expand federal protections for pregnant workers in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote last week.

In a nutshell: The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act helps prevent employers from forcing pregnant people out of the workplace and ensure that employers provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant people who want to continue working.

Take action: Thank your representatives who voted in favor of this critical legislation and tell your senators to co-sponsor the bipartisan Senate companion bill.


1. There's one day left to tell the Biden administration that you support reversing the Title X gag rule. The gag rule decimated access to affordable reproductive health care nationwide.

In a nutshell: The Department of Health and Human Services' public comment period ends tomorrow night. Title X is the only federal program dedicated to providing affordable reproductive care, so it's critical that we speak out on the importance of rescinding the gag rule and restoring Title X's provision of full, accurate, and unbiased health care services!

Take action: Click here for 3 easy steps to follow to submit a public comment on Biden's proposed rule revoking the Title X gag rule!