In the recent documentary film RBG, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg supports the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) because, “every constitution in the world written since the year 1950 has the equivalent of a statement that men and women are people of equal citizen stature.” The Constitution of the United States is the exception. However, Nevada’s ratification of the ERA in March 2017, followed by Illinois last May 30, 2018, moved the U.S. Constitution closer to the 38 states necessary to mandate equal rights for women and men under the law. We need only one more state.
The language of the ERA is clear: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” It was written by Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman in 1923, passed by Congress in 1972, and sent to the states for ratification. The recent Women’s March and #MeToo movement have demonstrated a higher public understanding of the lack of safety and equality that exists for women today and have increased the desire for tangible action that would allow for the legal adjudication of rights violations. Passage of the ERA is paramount to guaranteeing legal equality for both women and men.
Why we need the Equal Rights Amendment: