Last week, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney re-introduced the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). It is one of the simplest bills ever, stating:Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.
Pretty straightforward and a no brainer right?
After all, nowhere in the constitution does it state that women have the same rights as men. The ERA would affirm that the constitution also applies to and guarantees equal rights for women. These rights would then be preserved in the constitution, therefore Congress would not be able to amend them without amending the constitution. Also, the ERA would guarantee equal federal resources for women's health and education, and eliminate sex discrimination in the armed forces.
However, since its introduction more than 80 years ago, it has failed to pass.
First introduced by Alice Paul in 1923, the Equal Rights Amendment passed through Congress in 1972 but unfortunately fell just three states short of the 38 needed for ratification in 1982.
The ERA is long overdue, and now is the time to ensure it passes.
The ERA is another step that needs to be taken to assure full equality for women under the law, and confirm that the basic principles of our democracy, such as "all men are created equal" do in fact apply to women.
Pretty straightforward and a no brainer right?
After all, nowhere in the constitution does it state that women have the same rights as men. The ERA would affirm that the constitution also applies to and guarantees equal rights for women. These rights would then be preserved in the constitution, therefore Congress would not be able to amend them without amending the constitution. Also, the ERA would guarantee equal federal resources for women's health and education, and eliminate sex discrimination in the armed forces.
However, since its introduction more than 80 years ago, it has failed to pass.
First introduced by Alice Paul in 1923, the Equal Rights Amendment passed through Congress in 1972 but unfortunately fell just three states short of the 38 needed for ratification in 1982.
The ERA is long overdue, and now is the time to ensure it passes.
The ERA is another step that needs to be taken to assure full equality for women under the law, and confirm that the basic principles of our democracy, such as "all men are created equal" do in fact apply to women.
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