America doesn’t have an Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) – constitutional protection against gender discrimination.
ERA Text: Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.
91 percent of Americans believe that we should have constitutional protection for both genders, yet 72 percent of the American population mistakenly believes men and women already have constitutional gender equality. The fact is, we do not.
Along with pay equity, a ratified ERA would also protect the transgender community from discrimination because the amendment would be all-inclusive and would protect everyone, not only women. Pregnancy discrimination, violence against women and a variety of other societal issues would also fall under the umbrella of protection.
There is new momentum to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, and New York Rep. Carolyn Maloney is fighting for all of us. As she points out in the video below, the United States has helped to craft the constitutions of other countries, and one of the provisions included in those constitutions is equal treatment for all people.
It’s past time for the “greatest country on earth” to get its act together and acknowledge women as equal members of society in our constitution.
If Hillary Clinton is elected president, she will not enjoy constitutional gender equality. She may be the leader of the free world, but her ascendancy will not signify the end of the fight.
Read about the history of the ERA and my Huffington Post article, which provides additional information.
In the video, Representative Bonnie Watson-Coleman (D-NJ) hosted a Special Order Hour to discuss the passage and ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. Representatives Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) also joined her on the House floor.
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