Dear John

The decision to give birth is personal. Pregnancy can greatly impact your education, occupation, and financial situation, and can take an enormous toll on your mental, emotional, and physical health. Forced pregnancy and birth deny women, girls, and other pregnant people equal opportunities and participation in society, and the full enjoyment of their fundamental human rights. 

85% of UN Member States have constitutions that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex and/or gender. The United States is not one of them and a global outlier. 

In June, the conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ruling that the Constitution does not protect or confer the right to an abortion. But the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) could change the equation, making it much harder to deny the right to abortion across the country. 

Here in the United States, our rights have perhaps never been under greater threat than they have since the Court handed down its decision. That’s why I am joining with women and girls across the country to say ‘I need the ERA’.

By enshrining equal rights on the basis of sex into the constitution, the ERA could enable the legislative and judicial branches of the U.S. government to: 

✓ Defend against restrictive abortion bans 

✓ Extend protections to safeguard access to abortion and the full range of reproductive healthcare

✓ Send a resounding message that access to abortion and other reproductive healthcare measures are fundamental rights in the United States 

The adoption of the ERA should also directly impact the way the Supreme Court decides future abortion-related and other reproductive rights cases — basing those decisions on a constitutional right to equality rather than privacy. 

Access to healthcare, including abortion, is essential to equality. Where someone lives cannot and should not determine whether they have access to abortion and the full range of reproductive healthcare options. 

At Equality Now, we’re working to help make sure the ERA becomes part of the Constitution because equality will never be a reality if people don’t have control over their own bodies and reproductive lives. 

And you can help. Learn more about how to take action with our partners at The ERA Coalition. Working together, we can finally see gender equality enshrined as a fundamental right in the United States!

In solidarity
 

Jorie Dugan 
Global Legal Advisor, Equality Now

P.S.  Say YES to the Equal Rights Amendment with Tatty Devine's ERA Yes Brooch, a rousing etched and hand-inked motto in support of protection for women and other marginalized genders in the United States Constitution. Now shipping from the US, every purchase supports our work.