Samantha Garcia/Staff Writer
Apparently, Virginia arrived fashionably late to the party and just recently ratified the Equal Rights Amendment, originally approved by the U.S. Senate in 1972, on Jan. 15, 2020. This move makes an official 38 ratifications, fulfilling all the requirements necessary to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, with the exception of the due date.
We attained what we needed. (Insert Applause) Now we just have to find a way to put the Amendment in the Constitution. Our hard work of showcasing our outstanding abilities in the workplace must be further emphasized as we continue to fight for equality. The road is long, we shouldn’t “sit tight”; we must march on.
The fight for equal rights between men and women has come a long way in the last century, tracing its origins back to the first public demand for women’s suffrage at the Women’s Rights Convention in 1848, where 300 men and women signed the Declaration of Sentiments—a plea for the end of discrimination against women.
Alice Paul, who introduced the Equal Rights Amendment in Seneca Falls in 1923, passionately advocated for equal rights for all American citizens, regardless of sex. The Equal Rights Amendment was designed to end legal distinctions between American men and women in regard to property, employment, divorce, etc. This proposal was the first legislative stride toward equality, apart from the Nineteenth Amendment.
Today, we are still fighting to attain equality and Virginia’s passing of the Equal Rights Amendment has ignited a fire in the hearts of many and heightened their desires to attain equal rights, better opportunities and greater personal freedoms.
In essence, this amendment would read, “equality of rights under the law shall not be abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.”
This amendment could be viewed as an extension of the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees all citizens equal protection of the law, specifying that citizens are all persons born or naturalized in the United States. However, the Equal Rights Amendment would have further clarified nuances and empowered women. It is necessary and would further guarantee not only equal protection under the law but also equal opportunity.
In a country built upon the foundation of freedom, equality and opportunity, there is no room for limiting women in any aspect of their lives. We should empower all citizens, regardless of gender, in order to guarantee a functional democracy, economy and society.
The Equal Pay Act, passed by Congress in 1963, served as motivation for civil rights activists that fought for equal rights for men and women. This light in the dark tunnel paved the road for a series of reformatory acts that would improve the equality between men and women. However, the world does not revolve around a paycheck; we need equality in all aspects of life. The Equal Rights Amendment would ensure that.
Since the proposal of the Equal Rights Amendment, both men and women petitioned, rallied, marched, lobbied, picketed, went on hunger strikes and committed acts of civil disobedience throughout the ’70s and ’80s.
The deadline to ratify the Amendment was in 1982. By 1977, thirty-five of the thirty-eight states required to ratify the amendment had done so. However, the magic number of 38 ratifications was never attained. Until recently, when Virginia finally took the leap.
Despite the Equal Rights Amendment not passing on time, women continued to tirelessly fight for equality. 1992 was the Year of the Woman, with record numbers of women elected to Congress. The Supreme Court upheld Roe v. Wade in Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey but allowed states to impose some restrictions like waiting periods and parental consent for minors seeking abortions. Since the proposal of this Amendment, we have seen progress. We should continue to open doors, put our best foot forward and strive for progress.
Virginia passing the Equal Rights Amendment in 2020 should be music to our ears. It is a sign of support and a door waiting to be opened that holds opportunity. The future is ours. Let’s fight for our rights and indulge in our freedoms. The road has been long, but the destination will be worth the wait. What we need are women who support women. It’s us against the world, ladies.
Who runs the world? Girls.
Featured image by Marc Nozell on Flickr
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