I'm an American woman living in Chile, and here pregnant women do have special job protection. Any woman employed with a contract, which here covers virtually all jobs that will last for more than a few months, is entitled by law to two years of employment at her current salary from the moment she informs her employer of the pregnancy. If the company wants to let her go at some point, they can only do so if they pay her the remaining total of her two years' worth of salary prior to terminating her employment. This law (along with other laws guaranteeing free federally-funded pre- and post-natal health care for all expectant mothers and a minimum 6-week fully-paid maternity leave) is not designed to give pregnant women a "free pass" but rather to guarantee that a mother can provide for and care for her child and herself during a period of increased vulnerability for them both. It's about caring about families and wanting to give them the best start possible. Chile is a small nation with a significantly different political agenda from that of the US, but the concern for the well-being of pregnant women and their growing families is certainly admirable.