What is the full text of the ERA?
Section 1: Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.
Section 2: The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
Section 3: This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.
The Fight for womens rights
The fight for equal rights in the United States has a rich history of advocacy and activism by both women and men who believe in constitutionally protected gender equality.
The Equal Rights Amendment is necessary because the Constitution has never been interpreted to guarantee the rights of women as a class and the rights of men as a class to be equal. It was first proposed nearly a century ago and has still not been added to the U.S. Constitution, despite people in the United States overwhelmingly support a constitutional guarantee of equal rights on the basis of sex. However, political and legal challenges to the ratification process must be resolved before the Equal Rights Amendment can be published with certification of its ratification as part of the Constitution.
 ‘A century?!’. Yes, you heard that right.
The Amendment is crucial in order to prevent a rollback of women’s rights by conservative or reactionary political votes. The ERA will promote laws and court decisions that fairly take into account women’s, as well as men’s, experiences.
Why is the ERA so Important?
Evidence from around the world shows that gender equality advancements have a ripple effect on all areas of sustainable development, from reducing poverty, hunger and even carbon emissions to enhancing the health, well-being and education of entire families, communities and countries.
We’d like to think that now, an interest on pushing the amendment along has been sparked, or that you have a clearer understanding on its importance. Either way, glad to have been of help!
