This map depicts all 50 states that have and have not passed the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment).
This was written by Kelila Krantz, Lily Greenberg Call, and Mara Cook. All three attend high school in California.
“According to a poll in 2001 by the ERA Campaign Network of Princeton, 72% of people believe that the Equal Rights Amendment has already been passed. Contrary to this belief, the amendment is still waiting to be ratified. It’s true – there is no mention of gender equality in the Constitution, despite efforts to pass a bill outlining this simple right for about 100 years. Equality is a fundamental human right that should be guaranteed in the Constitution, and it is ridiculous that the struggle has taken this long, and is still met with opposition. People like to think that we are a progressive society, but it appears the United States is still stuck in the 1920s.
The ERA simply states that ‘Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.’ Having this in effect would make it so that there’s a clear standard in sex discrimination cases, making the process more efficient, considering there is currently no legal standard in regards to discrimination cases on the basis of gender. The second and third sections declare the power of Congress to enforce the article, and that it would take effect two years after it was ratified. Passing such an amendment would not only benefit both genders in America, but improve the United States’ standing in the international community as a leader in human rights.
The ERA was first introduced 1923, and passed in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, but didn’t get ratified by the deadline. This was partly due to Phyllis Schlafly, a conservative woman who led the opposition to the ERA. She claimed the ERA would take away certain privileges that women held, and she was afraid it would lead to unisex bathrooms and women being drafted into military service. Despite Schlafly’s efforts in the 1960’s, the ERA movement has been revived and many have joined the cause today.
In 2014 the Equal Rights Amendment’s message is still strong: equal rights for both women and men under the law. This important piece of legislature has made strides and had setbacks, Phyllis Schlafly’s opposition movement, but nothing will put this 91 year-old amendment to rest. And in the past three years we have made incredible progress; lets call it a modern revival of the Equal Rights Amendment. Less than a year ago, the White House responded to an ERA petition that received 33,107 signatures by agreeing that ‘It’s [Equal Rights Amendment] an important priority.’ If the White House is on our side, why not congress? The ERA Education Project started by Kamala Lopez was able to raise over 100,000 dollars through Kickstarter to fund Equal Means Equal, a documentary that contains the interviews of “four generations of American women grappling with the status of their rights, the issues they face and how these have impacted our society.” The ERA Education Project also provides video responses to many questions relating to the ERA on its accessible website. Women and men are uniting to bring the Equal Rights Amendment and gender equality issues to the forefront just like United For Equality, a limited liability corporation started by Carolyn Cook and Maureen Gehrig in 2010 which is pushing to eliminate the deadline for ratification, so that the ERA can receive its last three necessary ratifications. Movements across the nation of women, men, teenagers, girls, groups are pushing to pass the Equal Rights Amendment.
Although only 27 amendments have been passed since 1791, we don’t believe passing the Equal Rights Amendment is going to be a daunting task. By simple educating yourself, reading this article is a perfect example, you have fulfilled one of our goals: raising awareness. Educating yourself is the greatest tool necessary for advocacy. Once you are knowledgeable about the Equal Rights Amendment, without even knowing it, you will spread your newfound knowledge to friends, family, and your community. Unsure of how to educate others? When conversing, simply begin with “Do you think women and men are equal under the constitution?” If your prospect responds with no, well, then you have some critical information to expose them to and at points understand they may be shocked, just as you once were. If they respond with yes, then you have just found someone to talk about gender equality with. Believe me, by just bringing up the Equal Rights Amendment, you bring hope to the movement. Another goal we have is that we actually want to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, and for this to happen we need to lobby our congressmen and women. Calling, emailing, and signing petitions are all effective ways to reach your representatives. If you are curious about learning more about ERA movements or the history of ERA you can visit the United 4 Equality website, ERA Education website, Equal Rights Amendment.org, or www.ggbsupportsera.com. Most importantly, after you read this article it is critical that you take action. Don’t let your newfound knowledge fester! Make use of it and visit a website, call your representative, or tell your BFF that even though, in the words of Beyonce “Girls Run the World,” it is hard to lead if we are not stated as equal to men in our nation’s constitution. We are equal and even though we know it, those words need to be ingrained in our law.”