AAUW Advocates for the ERA

Washington State has an Equal Rights Amendment (Washington Constitution article XXXI, §1, 1972) that covers women in our state. But once you step outside our state, you do not have the same legal protections that men have.

Without the federal ERA, the hard-won legislative and court victories against sex discrimination at a state or federal level are not permanent—and can be rolled back or difficult to enforce.

The ERA is needed to clarify, once and for all, that sex discrimination in employment and wages, reproductive rights, insurance, Social Security, education, and more is a violation of constitutional rights.

Many of our branches across the state are passionate about the ERA. Check with your local branch for ERA advocacy opportunities.

AAUW is a member of the National ERA Coalition. Check AAUW’s webpage, Where We Stand: Equal Rights Amendment, for the latest action alerts.

What About State ERAs?

Twenty-eight states have adopted some form of an ERA in their state constitutions. “The ways the equal rights guarantees are worded, cited in lawsuits, or interpreted by state courts to achieve equal rights on the basis of sex are varied.”  See this summary of Equal Rights Amendments by State to see how they differ from each other and from the federal ERA.

Want to do more? Email publicpolicy@aauw-wa.org

 

Updated November 10. 2024