Amendment needs to be passed in three more states for ratification
By: Linda J. Field
"Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article."
Those are the words of the Equal Rights Amendment, proposed by the National Woman’s party in 1923 and reworded in 1943.
The history of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) has been long and difficult for those awaiting its ratification by three-quarters of the states. Lately, a group of women in the area has formed to continue that activism. Last Saturday, a yard sale was held in Lawrence to raise funds to aid the struggle in the 15 states that have still not ratified the ERA.
Although 35 states ratified the amendment, the vote is still three short of the 38 needed for ratification. For Lawrence resident Dorie Rothman, watching a video about the ERA was all it took to energize her into action.
Through the Princeton chapter of the National Organization of Women (NOW), she became active in its ERA Task Force.
"There is new hope for the ERA," said Ms. Rothman. "When Congress passed the ‘Madison Amendment’ in the 1990s, over 200 years after it was proposed, it gave us a great excuse to bring up the ERA. We have but three more states to go to have it presented to Congress and see it made the 28th amendment to the Constitution. The world will be a different place with it. By talking about it and showing the video, we’ve been introducing more and more women to what’s going on."
According to Ms. Rothman, Missouri is close to passing it. Much of the money raised at last weekend’s event will be sent to groups working on the cause there. She said supporters have gone so far as to raise billboards in support of the ERA near the statehouse there.
Although some states have adopted the sentiments of the ERA in their state constitutions, they have yet to ratify the federal amendment. She is especially angered that Virginia has yet to pass it, having given the country three presidents.
"This is a totally grassroots movement," said Ms. Rothman. "But it’s like a wildfire. Once it started, it’s very contagious. Women have every right to be in the Constitution, and they should be. Women are coming together again over this issue and the ground swell is rising. Soon, when enough women hear about it, and feel it in their states, maybe, hopefully, the politicians will have to finally give in."
The group of women running the yard sale were not the young, shiny images we remember from the years of change in the 1960s or 1970s. Instead they include women like Jennifer Macleod of Princeton Junction, a name connected to years of activism in the past. Like Ms. Rothman, she too was called back into action by the struggle for the ERA.
"Since I’ve been working on the ERA for a little over a year, the issue continues to resonate," said Ms. Macleod. "A lot of women are still surprised that it is not part of the Constitution. We’re completely non-partisan. Our group is also statewide. A lot of feminists burned out from all the dirty tricks and falsehoods they were given in the past. We encourage women to support the ERA with their votes.
"This is an especially important election," she continued. "There could be nominations for replacements on the Supreme Court over the next four years. We are asking both women and men who support the ERA to reflect that in their vote in the presidential election."
The group doesn’t meet on a regular basis, being spread through out New Jersey. So Ms. Rothman and others in the group meet via e-mail, sharing ideas and sentiments, as well as exchanging ideas for letters to be sent to legislators.
Although New Jersey has ratified the amendment, that hasn’t slowed down any of the women in this state from becoming a support network for those still working toward that goal. They are part of the national ERA Campaign Network, which has launched the informal e-mail newsletter, The ERA Campaigner.
"All we need is three more states," said Ms. Rothman. "I will keep on working toward that goal. I don’t want to be buried in un-ratified soil."
The group has information and the video to share with groups and individuals interested in the ERA. If interested, contact Dorie Rothman at 882-6815 or e-mail her at [email protected], or Jennifer Macleod at 799-0378 or e-mail her [email protected].