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Legal Issues

Legal issues - resources

The Iowa Department of Human Rights' Office on the Status of Women is administrative agency that provides advocacy for issues that affect women and girls. While we are not a law firm or enforcement agency and do not provide attorneys or legal advice, we do offer general information and resources to empower women with knowledge and information. Below are several resources for women about areas of the law that might affect them.

What do I do if I have been discriminated against?

Filing a state or federal claim

If you believe you have been discriminated against, you may contact either: 1) the state administrative agency: the Iowa Civil Rights Commission or 2) the federal administrative agency: the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. These two agencies cooperate with each other to process claims of discrimination. Their website and contact information are listed below. 

Iowa Civil Rights Commission
Phone: 515-281-4121 or 1-800-457-4416
Website: https://icrc.iowa.gov/

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Phone: 1-800-669-4000 
Website: https://www.eeoc.gov/employees/charge.cfm

Filing a local complaint

Your city may also have a local human rights or civil rights agency. For a list of local human and/or civil rights commissions in the state of Iowa, visit: https://icrc.iowa.gov/about-us/local-human-civil-rights-agencies.