On January 15, 2020, Virginia became the 38th state to approve the Equal Rights Amendment, symbolizing victory for advocates of women’s rights everywhere. The vote was 59-40 in the House and 28-12 in the Senate. Governor Ralph Northam, a Democrat, has said he supports the measure. However, the fate of the Equal Rights Amendment remains unclear as the deadline for approving the amendment has long since past.
The Equal Rights Amendment was first proposed in 1923, but was not passed by Congress until 1972. To approve the amendment, ratification was needed in 38 states by 1979. The deadline was later extended to 1982, although by that time only 35 states had done so. Nevada became the 36th state to approve the amendment in 2017, followed by Illinois in 2018.
The E.R.A. promised equal rights to women, and was aimed at improving pay equity for them, strengthening domestic violence and sexual harassment protections, and blocking discrimination against pregnant people and mothers. The bill reads, in part: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”
For more information on the Equal Rights Amendment, please refer to www.equalrightsamendment.org.