This summer Illinois became the thirty-seventh state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), a constitutional amendment which states that the rights guaranteed by the Constitution apply equally to all persons, regardless of sex. 

Women's rights activist, Alice Paul, introduced the ERA in 1923 as the next step in bringing "equal justice under law" to all citizens.  In 1972, the ERA was finally passed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification. It takes 38 states to ratify an amendment to the constitution.The original seven-year time limit for ratification was extended by Congress to June 30, 1982, but at that deadline, the ERA which states that "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex," had been ratified by only 35 states. Georgia has NOT ratified the Equal Rights Amendment.  

Ratification of the ERA by just one more state will meet the Constitutional requirement for approval by three-quarters of the states.That's why we're following Illinois' lead and recharging the fight for equal treatment and acknowledgment under the law! Women are uniting to take on this unfinished business and pushing the Georgia general assembly to protect and value women by ratifying the ERA! 

The Equal Rights Amendment is made up of three parts: 

Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.

Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.

Sign to show your support for the Equal Rights Amendment and demand the Georgia State House and Senate to represent our needs and ratify this important amendment. Though there are existing laws that offer protection from discrimination based on sex and gender today - the ERA offers a broader, more inclusive and federal approach so that ALL people may benefit. 

Sign and SHARE to let our Georgia elected officials know that we NEED the Equal Rights Amendment! It's time for Georgia to be on the right side of history!

By signing you'll also be able to stay up to date on this important fight and receive invitations to rally and advocate at the Georgia State Capitol. An informational video on the Equal Rights Amendment can be found here.