THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT’S JORNEY TO GENDER EQUALITY IN AMERICA

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution that aimed to guarantee equal rights for all citizens regardless of their sex. The amendment was first introduced in Congress in 1923 and after many years of debate and controversy, it was finally approved by the U.S. Senate on March 22nd, 1972. However, despite its approval by Congress, the ERA failed to be ratified by the required number of states before the deadline of March 22nd, 1979.

The ERA was designed to address the issue of gender inequality in the United States. At the time, women were not guaranteed the same rights and protections under the law as men. The ERA aimed to rectify this by stating 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.”
Although the ERA was approved by Congress, it faced significant opposition from conservative groups who argued that it would undermine traditional gender roles and family values. These groups also argued that the ERA was unnecessary since women already had legal protections under existing laws.

Despite this opposition, the ERA gained significant support from feminist groups and women’s rights activists who saw it as a crucial step towards achieving gender equality. However, the deadline for ratification of the amendment came and went without the required number of states approving it.

In the decades since the ERA failed to be ratified, many states have taken steps to address gender inequality through other means, such as passing laws to protect women from discrimination in the workplace and providing access to healthcare and reproductive services. However, the ERA remains a symbol of the ongoing struggle for gender equality in the United States.

In recent years, there have been renewed efforts to revive the ERA and have it ratified by the required number of states. While it remains to be seen whether these efforts will be successful, the ERA continues to be an important part of the conversation around gender equality in the United States.