Action Alert – Equal Rights Amendment

Federally Employed Women (FEW) asks that you contact your legislators and urge them to co-sponsor and support the Resolutions in both the House and Senate that remove the deadline for States to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution and/or begin the process that states:

 “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”

Priority should be given to passage of the ERA since full legal equality under the United States Constitution is essential for women to be equal partners and participants in our society.

While women certainly enjoy more rights today than they did when the ERA was first introduced in 1923 or when it passed out of Congress in 1972, hard-won laws against sex discrimination do not rest on any unequivocal constitutional foundation. They can be inconsistently enforced or even repealed. Elements of sex discrimination remain in statutory and case law, and courts have had difficulty applying a consistent standard to gender-based classification.

Four separate bills have been introduced (two in the House and two in the Senate) covering the two different approaches cited above. FEW supports either approach to achieve the end result – full equality. Therefore, we are asking legislators to support both Resolutions in their respective chambers.

Get involved in this important issue and help ensure that women receive full and equal rights in our nation. We can make a difference.  Simply get involved through CapWiz. Click on the Take Action button in the Featured Alert area and fill in your information to have your letters sent automatically.

If you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to contact Washington Premier Group at 202-670-2298, or tsaunders@washingtonpremiergroup.net.

 

Letter-House-

As your constituent and a member of Federally Employed Women (FEW), I urge you to co-sponsor the Equal Rights Amendment Resolutions (H.J. Res 33) that was introduced by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (NY) which would restart the process of passing the ERA, and H.J. Res 53 that was introduced by Rep. Jackie Speier (CA), would remove the deadline for States to pass the original ERA.

I firmly believe that priority should be given to passage of the ERA, in any form, since full legal equality under the United States Constitution is essential for women to be equal partners and participants in our society.

While women have made great strides, there is still a long way to go. Among the real problems still facing women are: the glass ceiling, wage gap, occupation gap and sexual harassment issues. Further, nine out of ten Americans support equal rights for women and men. This Amendment simply establishes a legal requirement that women be treated the same as men. There is no legitimate argument against this provision. Women deserve to be treated fairly and equally in the workplace, as well as in all other parts of our economy and society.

Now is the time to show half of the American citizenry and voting public that they are completely equal to the other half.

If you need more information about this issue, please contact the FEW Representative, Tonya Saunders with Washington Premier Group, at 202-670-2298, or via email at tsaunders@few.org.

 

Letter Senate-

As your constituent and a member of Federally Employed Women (FEW), I urge you to co-sponsor to the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) Resolutions (S.J. Res 6) that was introduced by Sen. Robert Menendez (NJ) and (S.J. Res 5) that was introduced by Sen. Ben Cardin (MD). S.J. Res 6 would restart the process of passing the ERA while S.J. Res 5 would remove the deadline for States to pass ERA.

I firmly believe that priority should be given to passage of the ERA, in any form, since full legal equality under the United States Constitution is essential for women to be equal partners and participants in our society.

While women have made great strides, there is still a long way to go. Among the real problems still facing women: the glass ceiling, wage gap, occupation gap and sexual harassment. Further, nine out of ten Americans support equal rights for women and men. This Amendment simply establishes a legal requirement that women be treated the same as men. There is no legitimate argument against this provision. Women deserve to be treated fairly and equally in the workplace, as well as in all other parts of our economy and society.

Now is the time to show half of the American citizenry and voting public that they are completely equal to the other half.

If you need more information about this issue, please contact the FEW Representative Tonya Saunders with Washington Premier Group, at 202-670-2298, or via email at tsaunders@few.org.