[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 109 (Tuesday, July 29, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S8258]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  PREGNANCY-BASED SEX DISCRIMINATION IN MEXICO'S MAQUILADORA INDUSTRY

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I want to bring to the attention of the 
Senate that Human Rights Watch, the International Labor Rights Fund, 
and Mexico's National Association of Democratic Lawyers have asked the 
U.S. National Administrative Office [U.S. NAO] to investigate reports 
of widespread pregnancy-based sex discrimination in Mexico's 
maquiladora industry.
  These organizations report that maquiladoras routinely administer 
pregnancy exams to prospective female employees in order to deny them 
work, in blatant violation of their privacy. Female employees face 
invasive questions about contraceptive use, sexual activity, and menses 
schedules. In some cases, women who become pregnant after being hired 
are forced to resign. Maquiladora owners fear that pregnant women will 
reduce production standards and that legally mandated maternity 
benefits will drain industry money. The report concludes that the 
Mexican Government has failed to investigate these discriminatory 
practices in violation of their own laws and NAFTA.
  The request for an investigation is the first of its kind that has 
been brought before the U.S. NAO. The case represents an important 
opportunity to convey to our trading partners and United States 
corporations who have operations in Mexico that sex discrimination is 
intolerable, illegal, and in violation of NAFTA.
  As we consider expanding NAFTA benefits to the Caribbean Basin and 
other South American countries, the United States should demonstrate to 
our trading partners that we take labor rights violations seriously. I 
hope the U.S. NAO will consider this case expeditiously and I look 
forward to its report. The priviledge of free trade and its economic 
benefits should be conditional upon the trading partners abiding by the 
same labor and environmental laws.

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