The ERA: Full Partnership for Women

THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON THE ERA: FULL PARTNERSHIP FOR WOMEN The Equal Rights Amendment must be ratified. The story of American democracy is a story of struggle and growth. Over the past two hundred years, basic human rights and liberties originally enjoyed by only a minority have been extended to protect many more Americans. The ERA is simply the next chapter in this inspiring story. Since the turn of the century, women have made dramatic progress -- including the Constitutional guarantee of the right to vote. Yet, in many ways the 51 percent of our population who are women are still second-class citizens today. The choices and opportunities open to them remain limited unfairly. Over the years, women have suffered from job discrimination and unequal pay, and the families they help support have also suffered. In the last 20 years, the earnings gap between men and women has actually widened. In some states, women who are married still are deprived of legal and economic rights. Women have been denied the right to own property, bring legal suits, and even buy automobile insurance in their own names. Much has been done to redress the inequality of women by a number of States and the Congress. I have directed my entire Administration to do everything possible to advance the status of women. I have pushed vigorously to increase the number of women in the Federal judiciary. But all these efforts still are not enough. Because the principle of equality between men and women is not yet part of our Constitution, the laws affecting women could be changed easily to reduce current safeguards. The only way to achieve full legal equality for women is to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. The ERA is not a novel idea. It was first introduced in 1923. The fight for it began when my mother was a young woman. After careful and lengthy debate, Congress submitted it to the States for ratification on March 22, 1972. All but three of the necessary 38 states have ratified it. Last year Congress passed, and I signed, legislation extending the ratification deadline to June 30, 1982.