Will Equal Rights Amendment finally pass?

Believe it or not, the Constitution doesn't legally protect women's rights. Here’s why that could change soon.

Multiple states stand between the ratification of the ERA


Women do not technically have protection in the United States Constitution. Carol Jenkins of the Equal Rights Amendment Coalition wants that to change. The Equal Rights Amendment was passed by Congress in 1972 — but has yet to be ratified by the required 38 states. In 2019, Virginia flipped their state legislature from Republican to Democrat — making it a likely candidate for state 38 in the ERA battle.


Amending the Constitution


“The Constitution was written by white men, slave holders, deliberately left out the idea of women being put in in the Constitution. It was all about men. It was all about white men. It was all about white men who owned slaves. So, we know that we have a distance to come as this country has evolved and so many other people and things have been considered. What about black people? What about, you know, as we've gone along, so 27 amendments to fix that original Constitution. We think that there needs to be a 28th amendment, and that is the one that says, "You cannot discriminate in the United States of America based on sex." So, when we did our research, the ERA Coalition, we found that 80% of Americans thought it had already passed. How could the United States not have an Equal Rights Amendment? But it did not pass. Alice Paul first recommended it in 1923, so we're approaching almost a century of men and women working to make sure that women are put into the Constitution and therefore can enjoy the full rights of citizenship here in the United States,” Carol Jenkins tells Brut.


A mission made personal


Carol Jenkins is confident that in January of 2020 the United States will make Virginia it’s 38th state and the ERA will be ratified. A personal mission of Jenkins, to make sure that this gets done in this lifetime, so that daughters, and granddaughters, grandsons will be able to take advantage of a fairer country, a fairer United States.


Brut.


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Brut.