Labor rights for women contributes to underlying policy aim of providing reduction in structural poverty by improving gender equality and women empowerment. These rights helps to promote economic self reliance.
Today women make up to 50 % of the work force and around 46.9% of the technical and professional work force. Women are legally designated to equal employment opportunities and as work force members they should be aware of their rights.
Following are few laws that are important for a women to know in order to understand their rights under these laws.
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): This act is mainly designed to help women balance the demands at the work place with personal 
and family needs. Through this act employers must grant unpaid leave of 12 weeks for women employees for adoption or birth of child.
The Whistle blower Protection Act: This act applied to women who are victims of gender vengeance or discrimination. This act allows the whistle blower(person who reports to authorities about unsafe or inappropriate work conditions taking place in organization) to file a litigation in a federal court.
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Previously high paying jobs would be offered to men and for accomplishing the same job women would be paid less almost half of what men get. This act enforces over time pay and equal wages for women.
The Civil Rights Act: This act protect women from sexual discrimination. According to this act it is unlawful for an employer to differentiate against women employees because of color, origin, Religion, gender and race.
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act: Pregnancy discrimination act came in to existence after improving the civil rights act to prevent sex differentiation on the basis of pregnancy. Pregnancy discrimination involves treating the women employee unfavorable on the basis id child birth , pregnancy or other related medical conditions. It is an effort made to eliminate the pregnancy based discrimination.
The Comprehensive Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA): Under this act, working woman employees continue to get health benefits after their job loss because of family issues or job transition. Hence women especially single mothers are the one who benefit from this act.
The Equal Pay Act: This act compensates the fair labor standards act and nullify wage distinction based on sex. It requires that both women and men should be given equal pay for equal work. This makes an important step for women and closing the wage gap between women and men in the work place.
As a women employee one should be aware of the various labor laws that govern equal compensation and pay an their effect on your employment responsibilities and activities.