By: Nancy Werner
NFBPWC Advocacy Team ERA Lead

EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT

UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE MET ON

OCTOBER 30, 2023

Advocacy –Equal Rights Amendment.  “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex” needs to be placed into our Constitution. While most states have laws prohibiting discrimination of any kind based on sex, proponents of the E.R.A. say laws can be reversed or eliminated. Having a Constitutional Amendment would cement those rights. 

Back in 1979, the most important human rights statement for women was written by the United Nations Human Rights Committee. CEDAW. It stands for Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Across the world 189 nations ratified it but United States, Sudan, Somalia, Iran, Tonga, and Palau.  Going back in time President Jimmy Carter signed CEDAW on July 1, 1980, but it failed to be ratified by our Congress many times over. Why? We have Republicans who kept saying it would legalize abortion rights. But we have supporters of this document who continue to argue for its passage.

Now let’s fast forward to October 30, 2023. The United Nations Human Rights Committee met in Geneva, Switzerland and shared that the United States government should provide protection against sex-and-gender–based-discrimination by adopting the Equal Rights Amendment. Members of the U.S. Equal Rights Coalition, Equality Now and other leading U.S. women’s rights organizations addressed the committee. The report of the UN Committee wanted the United States to redouble its efforts to guarantee protection against sex and gender-based discrimination in the Constitution. The Equal Rights Amendment is fundamental to achieve sex and gender equality. And this statement goes hand in hand with ratifying CEDAW. 

This endorsement provides us with information to contact our Congressional leaders. Use the one-click to share that you wish CEDAW and the ERA to come to the floor. Also, if you haven’t signed the http://www.sign4era.org  to receive notifications, please do. Please keep in touch with your Senators using the NFBPWC “One Click.” You know how your Senators voted back In April. We have been promised a revisit and we need to be ready. Keep clicking!