Equal rights amendment (ERA)

Equal rights amendment (ERA)

1. It was a suggested reformation presented to the United States constitution developed to assure equality on legal rights for all American citizens irrespective of their sex. It seeks to bring to end the legal disparities between men and women when it comes to settling matters such as employment, divorce, and property. The first amendment to be introduced to Congress was in the year 1923 by Crystal Eastman and Alice Paul. In the early history of ERA, the middle-class women were found in full support of the presentation, with the spokespersons of the working class .despising the same defense that the employed women were advocating for special needs, protections relating to working conditions and the environment as well as working hours. Increased movements of women movements around the state in the 1960s raised the popularity of the recommendations, which were then approved by the house of the representatives in 1971 with the Senate supporting the same in 1972 from where the ERA recommendations were presented to the state legislature for ratification as it is evidenced in the article five of the U.S. constitution. The ERA recommendations were basically to ensure that the U.S. constitution warrants women equal rights as men. Which meant that; Congress shall be granted the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation and no political, legal disabilities inequalities or civil on account of marriage or sex. Unlike when it is applying to both genders, it shall exist in the territories of the united states or within its jurisdiction.

Potential legal implications

The ratification of the ERA amendments is likely to bring to the development of new legal aspects that will assume the similarity of both the female and male.

Women signing up for the draft

One of the most transparent results of the reforms is that it will be virtually impossible to exclude the women from the selection, with the attainment of 18 years of age by women enabling them to sign up for selective service as men

Abortion funding from the government

Passing the ERA recommendations effects provides for the right of taxpayers appraisal by the abortion funding stating in the constitution, with the pro-abortion activist arguing that any limitations from whichever aspect of abortion aggregate to sex discrimination. as it seems to be a way of protecting and guarding the rights of women this precipitates harm on women further backing on demands on abortion in the united states

Restrictions on same-sex bathrooms

It is consequential that the ERA recommendations concerning the legal aspect will trigger the illegality of gender-segregated bathrooms in public buildings. Others opposing this reflective arguing that unisex bathrooms do not fall into the implications of the recommendations in the “right of bodily privacy “this leaving the decision to the courts in deriving the interpretation of the clause.

2. ERA proposal

In March 1972, the ERA was passed by the U.S. Senate and later sent to the states for ratification. It was first proposed in 1923 by the National Women’s political party to provide legal on the sexes and do away with the discrimination that is characterized by sex.later in the four decades renewal of feminism emerged in the late 1960s shooting its introduction in the Congress. Under the support of various U.S. representatives Gloria Steinem, Bella Abzug, and Betty Friedan, the reforms won the necessary two-thirds vote from the House of Representatives in the U.S. in 1971, with it being approved by the U.S. Senate and forwarded to the states.

The first state to ratify the amendment was Hawaii, which was then followed up by the other thirty countries in the year. Notwithstanding in the middle of the 1970s arose a conservative backlash opposing feminism erodes support for the ERA, which fundamentally failed to meet the ratification. Due to the disowning of the ERA, sexual equality with the apparent objection of when it appertains to the right to vote gets no protection from the U.S. constitution. Notably, in the 20^th century, the federal government in all states have drafted considerable laws that address the rights of women.

With the interpretation of the prohibition of discrimination based on sex, some people still are in doubt as to whether the constitution provides such protection. for instance, one of the activists stated that “absolutely the constitution does not require partiality based on sex, the only charge was doubting if it prohibits it.it does No one ever figured that has what it meant.no one ever voted for that.” From Julie Suk’s words, he says, “if you look at constitutions around the world amending, recognizing, and rewriting what qualities have changed are very important to the wellbeing of any constitutional democracy. “Further stating that this what he thinks has been missed out, she further expounds that the cultural and psychological benefits of passing the ERA happen to be more important than the legal benefits. She states that if something has symbolic importance, transforms the way that people operate that changes are mainly focused on how we live rather than what the law does. Symbolic meaning that when people are aware of their foundational document, including the protection of women’s rights, makes them behave differently.

3. Supporters feel that the existing constitution amendments are doing very little in ensuring that they configure hindering the female from neglecting by the males, thus advocating for more changes and measures that ensure that the interest of women is safeguarded. Constitutional is what they think will reduce the cases of sexual assault and put the equality standards that drive the feeling of acceptance and appreciation of the female species.

The ERA will ensure that gender or sex-based discrimination is unconstitutional. Supporters of these recommendations have a feeling that the encryption of reforms to the governing laws will be a lasting solution. That will ensure that women get the same treatment as the men by equal payments on the services they offer and equality in consideration of promotion on job opportunities with the reforms specifying on the enactment of the rule of law when the improvements are exempted.

4. Critics on ERA defended their stand by arguing that the changes presented by the reforms were posing a threat to the traditional family life set up. Which empowers women to act against the believes and cultural practices basing their stand that they are legally protected even to go against the healthy life set up. They also argue that the reforms are likely to substitute women with too much legal protection. That makes them untouchable even in cases where they are found to be harming the rights of men. Since the reforms will defend the interests of women as the priority, these making men feel that their rights are not valued any more due to the much legal enforcement that has been placed on women’s needs.

The reforms on the ERA should be incorporated in the constitution to ensure that the narrative where men are seen to dominate everything starting from employment opportunities has led to under exploitation of skills that women can provide for the services in which most cases they are discriminated from taking part .secondly this recommendations helps to bring sanity in the country where women feel recognized and appreciated due to the equality in acquiring of services this curbs the existence of cases on sexual violence and discrimination

In another perspective, I think the recommendations in the ERA should not be enacted in the constitution. As the reforms are seen despising the man position in the social life, and the much empowerment on the females has led to the much legal protection on women from the rights they impose in the ERA. Thus making it hard for the men to hear when making claims as there will always be that narrative that drives the ones making judgments that the female is being neglected, which in most scenarios is not valid.

When ratifying and approving the ERA reforms in the constitution, it is vital and recommendable for the participation of human rights and other interested parties also to make their stand. And ensure that the introduction of one good does not affect the wellbeing of the other, which is likely to result in conflicts.