Dear John

I need the ERA because equality is a fundamental right. 

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

For more than a century, feminists have realized that this omission presents a major barrier to achieving true gender equality in the United States. In 1923, Alice Paul drafted the Equal Rights Amendment, which has remained the same for nearly 100 years: 

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

Despite meeting all constitutional requirements necessary to become the 28th amendment— including ratification by 38 states—the ERA has yet to be added to the United States Constitution. 

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 and extend protection to access the full range of reproductive healthcare 

✓ Prohibit child marriage at the federal level and bring the United States into compliance with international law

✓ Make it harder for courts to find Congress lacks the constitutional authority to pass laws prohibiting violence against women, including harmful practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM) 

The ERA would have the power to change the lives of millions of people across the country. This Constitution Day, we want to hear from you. 

Share what the Equal Rights Amendment would mean to you and the people you love. 

At a time when women’s rights are under severe attack, the ERA would both shield existing rights from political winds as well as help expand protections and liberties for all women, girls, and other marginalized genders. 

Sex would become a “suspect classification”—which already applies to categories like race, religion, and national origin—and require cases of sex discrimination to undergo “strict scrutiny.” Strict scrutiny is the highest level of justification in the US legal system and would recognize and raise sex equality to the status of a fundamental right and categorize sex as a “protected class.” 

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 it is not recognized as a fundamental right. 

And you can help. Share why you need the ERA today.

Learn more about how to take action with our partners at The ERA Coalition. 

If we work 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.