Take Action: Equal Rights Amendment

8/7/2023

More than 100 years after some women gained the right to vote, we continue to witness women’s rights being stripped away. The US Constitution simply does not ensure that all genders have the same rights and protections under the laws of our nation. 

It is time. The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) has met all ratification requirements and must be published as part of the US Constitution.

Here in Illinois, the General Assembly adopted Joint Resolution HJR20 this spring, calling on the US Congress to affirm the ratification of the ERA. Joint resolutions have been introduced in the US Congress that will both affirm that the ERA is a valid part of the Constitution and address the question of a ratification time limit.

The ERA was first drafted in 1923 by suffragist Alice Paul, and was introduced in every session of Congress for the next 49 years. In 1972, it was approved by overwhelming majorities in both House and Senate, and sent to the states for ratification. The 38-state threshold needed to become part of the US Constitution proved elusive until in 2018, when Illinois became the 37th state to ratify, and Virginia became the 38th in 2020. 

It is time for all genders to be protected equally by the US Constitution. 

Speak up! Urge Congress to act now to assert that the ERA is part of the Constitution. Use this quick and easy form to contact your representatives.