Have we really come a long way baby or as far as we think we have? Are each of us too busy and preoccupied to realize what women still do not have? When I think EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT (ERA), I think back to my childhood when the news would show protests with women burning their bras. I never really gave the ERA much time or thought. I always had the mindset that I was going to college to be a professional and being treated differently because I was a woman never entered my mind.
Run the clock forward many years and now I think what a naïve youthful spirit I had because things are better, but still not where they need to be as equal. Today as a middle-aged professional woman with years of experience and a master’s degree, recently I asked myself what does the ERA mean to and for me? Off the top of my mind, I really was not current on the facts or status. I told myself, I need to make time to do that and once again, I filed ERA to the back of my mind. Then suddenly “CoronaViris Quarantine” and there was time for me and ERA. My time to reflect on the ERA has ignited my passion for getting the ERA passed as a federal law.
What we have been thinking are laws protecting women’s rights do not actually exist as written laws. Women have dropped the ball in the fight because we thought that was all done and women having equal rights was just a given. Now younger generations of women do not realize their rights as women could be in jeopardy.
ERA in a nutshell:
♦ Since the 14th Amendment guarantees all citizens equal protection of the laws, why do we still need the ERA? The 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868, after the Civil War, to deal with race discrimination. In referring to the electorate, it added the word “male” to the Constitution for the first time.
♦ Women had to fight a long and hard political battle over more than 70 years to have their right to vote guaranteed through the 19th Amendment passed in 1920. That was just 80 years ago. There are women still alive who lived in a time when women did not have the right to vote.
♦ So why didn’t the 14th amendment apply to women voting? Our country’s founders, who I have great respect for, were not perfect. That is why amendments must keep our constitution up to date for generational and technological changes to keep the USA a free democracy.
♦ The ERA needs to stand alone as an amendment and we need to stop politicians from muddying the waters by throwing in other issues like abortion, gay and transgender rights, etc. These other separate controversial issues keep getting thrown in with ERA to delay and distract from getting ERA passed.
♦ The Equal Rights Amendment would provide a fundamental legal remedy against sex discrimination by guaranteeing that constitutional rights may not be denied or abridged on account of sex. For the first time, sex would be considered a suspect classification, as race, religion, and national origin currently are. Governmental actions that treat males or females differently as a class would be subject to strict judicial scrutiny and would have to meet the highest level of justification – a necessary relation to a compelling state interest – to be upheld as constitutional.
Life has taught me there is a big difference in the way things are and the way things should be. That is why we need laws to protect our rights. There have been amazing women throughout history who have fought hard for women’s rights. What they fought for allows women of today to enjoy the rights that we take for granted, like being able to vote, drive, work, have ownership and more. Women are still not treated equal with the same freedoms and privileges as our male counterparts. In 2019, women earned $0.79 for every $1.00 men earn. Progress is being made to close the gap, but women are still impacted in many ways you may not realize.
If you think women in the USA will never lose the freedom and rights that we think we have, my advice is “never say never”. Women do not need to leave this cause unfinished. We must unite to protect and demand the Equal Rights Amendment be made a federal law that must be followed by all American states and territories.
Please take the time to learn more on the Equal Rights Amendment, visit https://www.equalrightsamendment.org/
About the Author
Jill Marrs Bishop is a member and former board member of the Springfield, MO Chapter of the Association for Women in Communications. Diversified 20 plus years communication background encompassing compliance, management, marketing, and business development in the financial and hospitality industries. Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism: Advertising/Public Relations from the University of Arkansas, Master of Arts degree in Communication from Missouri State University.
