The Equal Rights Amendment is Our Focus 

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

Here’s something to work with: The ERA Coalition Tool Kit

The ERA Coalition tool kit is a resource that provides information and tools to support the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), a proposed constitutional amendment guaranteeing equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. These toolkits aim to educate the public and activists on the purpose of the ERA and how to take action to ensure it becomes the 28th Amendment to the Constitution.

What the ERA Tool Kit provides:

• Information and education: The toolkit explains the history, purpose, and importance of the ERA, highlighting how it will serve as a fundamentallegal remedy against sex discrimination and strengthen legal tools to combat issues like pay inequity, workplace harassment, and barriers to healthcare.
• Call to action: Materials to encourage civic engagement and advocacy for the ERA, such as information for voters on candidate stances and ways to pressure elected officials.

• Resource for activists and the public: The tools are designed for broad use by individuals, organizations, and even journalists to help spread awareness and build support for the amendment.

Why the toolkit is needed:

• Addressing ongoing discrimination: Advocates argue that despite progress, systemic discrimination based on sex continues, making a constitutional amendment necessary to create a lasting legal framework for equality.
• Strengthening legal protections: The ERA would give Congress and the courts stronger authority to pass laws and make rulings that uphold sex-based equality.
  
• Securing a fundamental right: Theamendment aims to ensure that all individuals' fundamental human rights are reflected in and protected by the Constitution, regardless of sex.

Visit the ERA Coalition's official website for the links above and many other valuable insights and tools.

Equality Now: Another toolkit. This one is designed to support civil society organizations (CSOs), grassroots groups, and human rights amplifiers in advocating for gender equality and closing protection gaps in the United States in the lead-up to the review of the United States during the 50th Universal Periodic Review. It centers on the findings and recommendations from a joint submission by Equality Now and partners on gender equality and human rights violations.

Congressional Updates from the Alice Paul web site: Equal Rights Amendments were introduced in the House and Senate during March, which is Women’s History Month. Representative Pressley’s Bill (HJ Resolution 80) dropped on March 24 and now has 179 co-sponsors, with four added since the last count. The goal is to surpass the 215 from the 118th Congressional session.

Senator Murkowski’s Bill (SJ Resolution 38) dropped March 25, Equal Pay Day. Senator Mazie Hirano is the co-lead. The Senate bill is a companion bill to the House Resolution, and the two bills share the same name: a joint resolution establishing the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.

During the last Congressional session, the ERA Caucus was established with Representatives Pressley and Jennifer McClellan as the co-chairs. The Caucus is planning to host an event with Congressional members and ERA advocates to restart the Caucus with new co-chairs.

Three Key Points

1. The ERA as the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is a formality, there is nothing needed to make it valid. President Biden’s action confirmed what we already knew; the amendment fully met all the constitutional requirements with Virginia’s ratification on January 27, 2020.
2. Time limits are arbitrary. Time limits are not mentioned as part of the amending process in the Constitution.
3. The fight is now about Awareness and Education. We must ensure that people know the ERA is the law of the land, protecting people from gender- based discrimination in all aspects of life, from reproductive healthcare to workplace equality.

We need to continue to talk about the ERA and keep it in our conversations.

Keep Marching.

Nancy Werner
Advocacy Team ERA Lead
2022-2026