What could tomorrow's US Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the ERA mean for equality in the US? 

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Dear John

In a historic move tomorrow, on the eve of Women’s History Month, February 28th at 10:00 am EST, the United States Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing about the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) ([link removed]) .

Specifically, the hearing is to discuss a simple resolution S.J. Res, 4 ([link removed]) that would, if passed, declare that the ERA, having been ratified by the required number of states, is already valid and in effect. This is the first time in over a decade that the Senate has had a hearing about the ERA.

Let’s recap, what is the ERA?

85% of UN Member States ([link removed]) 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, and that’s why Alice Paul drafted the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in 1923.

But despite meeting all constitutional requirements ([link removed]) necessary to become the 28th amendment, including ratification by 38 states, the ERA has yet to be added to the United States Constitution.

Why does this hearing matter?

The hearing, which is the first by the Senate in over a decade about the ERA, could be the first step toward the United States legislature fully enacting the Equal Rights Amendment into the US Constitution.

Previously, members of Congress have presented bills to eliminate the deadline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, the deadline having been seen as a barrier to its incorporation into the Constitution. These bills have not passed both houses of Congress.

As our Global Executive Director, S. Mona Sinha, said in her written testimony ([link removed]) to the Committee,

"We strongly believe that the Equal Rights Amendment will bring about further positive legal and social change, as it has in other countries, and make an enormous difference in the lives of all American women and girls, their families, and their communities. It could provide further protection from gender-based violence, including sexual and domestic violence, child marriage, FGM, and other forms of violence and discrimination."

Read more in our latest blog on what this hearing could mean for equality in the United States. ([link removed])

Thank you for your solidarity in this moment, we know that together we will make equality reality.

In Solidarity,

Antonia Kirkland
Global Lead, Achieving Legal Equality, Equality Now

PS: Our partners at the ERA Coalition will be streaming the hearing live ([link removed]) on YouTube. Watch live or follow us on Twitter ([link removed]) for live updates.

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