Despite the significant legal and legislative advances that have been made in recent decades, women continue to face discrimination on the basis of sex. The symptoms of this systemic discrimination are clear in the ongoing fights against unequal pay, workplace harassment, pregnancy discrimination, domestic violence, and limited access to comprehensive healthcare. It is not enough to treat the symptoms; we must address the root cause of inequality by amending the Constitution.
The ERA has satisfied all requirements set forth in Article V of the Constitution and should be added as the 28th Amendment. In 1972, the ERA was passed through Congress with well over the necessary two-thirds vote and sent to the states. It has been over two years since Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the amendment as the last necessary state to meet the ¾ state ratification requirement. The effective waiting period has now come to an end and the Amendment is enforceable. Learn more about the ERA from the National Archives