The Equal Rights Amendment: A promise unfulfilled

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), 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," remains an unfulfilled promise. Proposed by Alice Paul, a key figure in the women's suffrage movement, a version of the ERA was first submitted to Congress in 1923. It took nearly 50 years for Congress to pass it in 1972. The subsequent ratification by three-quarters of the states was expected to be straightforward, based on principles of justice and fairness. However, fierce opposition emerged, notably from conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly, who argued in 1983 that "Women do have ambition and work hard, but most women choose to apply those energies to building their family." Congress set a deadline of 1982 for ratification, but the amendment only secured 35 state approvals, falling three short of the required 38. Despite the ERA's non-ratification, significant societal changes have occurred. Feminist writer Letty Cottin Pogrebin, a founder of Ms. Magazine, noted the progress, contrasting her early career in the 1960s with her daughter Robin and granddaughter Maya. Pogrebin recalled a time when employment agencies used color-coded cards to segregate "women's jobs" from "men's jobs." Robin Pogrebin, now a journalist, noted that her generation benefited from the groundwork laid by previous activists, feeling less need to protest. Maya Klaris, working in finance, expressed surprise that women might not have equal rights, indicating that the ERA's absence hadn't been a conscious barrier in her life. In 2020, Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the ERA, but this occurred long after the deadline had passed. Consequently, a constitutional guarantee of equality for women remains elusive, and ongoing debates persist regarding reproductive rights, equal pay, and military service.

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Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.