ERA Coalition Announces National Strategy Task Force to Publish and Fully Enact the Equal Rights Amendment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 30, 2024
Contact: cwest@eracoalition.org

Washington, DC –– Today, the ERA Coalition announced the convening of a National Strategy Task Force with partner organizations integral to the movement to publish and enact the fully ratified Equal Rights Amendment. 

“With opponents working to control who can vote, have bodily autonomy, and make health care decisions, the need for constitutional sex equality has never been greater. With a published and fully enacted Equal Rights Amendment, we will be able to protect against future rollbacks on the rights of women, LGBTQ+ people, and anyone discriminated against on the basis of sex,” said ERA Coalition and Fund for Women’s Equality President and CEO Zakiya Thomas. “We’re at a pivotal junction in our nation, and with the National Strategy Task Force, we aim to be the unifying social movement to counter the attacks on our communities, and get the ERA over the finish line.”

National Strategy Task Force members will be strategic thought partners in developing and shaping coalition campaigns, messaging, and initiatives, leveraging collective resources, reach, and influence to raise public awareness, educate, and counter attacks waged against constitutional equality.

The National Strategy Task Force includes the following founding members: American Constitution Society (ACS), American Association of University Women (AAUW), Black Women’s Roundtable, Equality Now, The Feminist Front, Feminist Majority Foundation, Generation Ratify, League of Women Voters, National Council of Jewish Women, National LGBTQ Task Force, National Organization for Women (NOW), and YWCA.

“The Equal Rights Amendment is critical to addressing a founding failure of our Constitution - its silence on gender equality,” said Russ Feingold, President of the American Constitution Society (ACS). Thirty-eight states have acknowledged this founding failure and ratified the ERA in accordance with Article V of the Constitution. The American Constitution Society is proud to join the National Strategy Task Force at this critical time to finish the work of generations of women and allies in redressing this unacceptable omission.”

“For 100 years, we've asked, for 100 years, we've waited. No more. Women's equality can't wait another minute,” said Mona Sinha, Global Executive Director at Equality Now. “The ERA will unlock economic success, strengthen communities, and most importantly gives unshakeable rights to all women. Equality Now is a proud member of and stands with the National Strategy Task Force - let's rise together and finally enshrine the ERA.”

“Our generation will not wait. We, as a rising feminist generation, demand the E.R.A. With bans on our rights, lives, and bodies, my generation knows we need Biden and Congress to secure E.R.A. Now.,” said Sophia Armen, Co-Chair of The Feminist Front. “This year represents a new chapter in ERA history, where we finally cross that finish line and secure equality for the future. With over 100 years and multiple generations fighting for the Equal Rights Amendment we cannot afford to wait one more second while our communities suffer. Women and queer people are not disposable, and should no longer be overlooked or marginalized, it is time we finally rectify this glaring injustice in the U.S. Constitution. Our generation of feminists are breathing new life into the ERA and we refuse to back down.” 

"The rise of anti-abortion extremism, persistent economic inequality for women, and unrelenting attacks on LGBTQ rights have shown that a constitutional foundation for sex equality is urgently needed," said Eleanor Smeal, President and founder of the Feminist Majority Foundation. "Even more concerning, the Supreme Court has stripped sexual assault victims of their ability to seek justice in federal civil court. The ERA is needed now more than ever. The Feminist Majority Foundation proudly stands with the ERA Coalition in this fight, as a member of the National Strategy Task Force. It has been 100 years since the ERA was first introduced. We cannot and will not wait any longer to enshrine gender equality in our Constitution."

"Young people demand our rightful place in the Constitution. With our bodies, lives, and futures under attack, young people know we need the Equal Rights Amendment to fight back. We need the ERA to defend abortion, protect queer and trans youth, and advocate for survivors. That's why Gen–Z has taken to the streets, to the halls of Congress, and beyond, putting our bodies and futures on the line, to demand the ERA," said Rosie Couture, Co-Executive Director of Generation Ratify. "We are proud to be a part of the intergeneration, multiracial coalition that will win the Equal Rights Amendment. Together, we will ensure not one more generation lives without their full inclusion in the U.S. Constitution."

"A strong democracy doesn’t discriminate against women but empowers women," said Virginia Kase Solomón, CEO of the League of Women Voters of the United States. "Inequality hurts everyone and we must not continue to be a nation that harmfully excludes and marginalizes women. The League of Women Voters is proud to be a member of the National Task Force to ensure women are fully recognized as equal members of this society."

“Women are not guaranteed equal rights by the constitution and it is beyond time for that to change — the full enactment of the Equal Rights Amendment is more necessary than ever. As the oldest Jewish women's organization in the country, our values and traditions compel us to tear down hurdles for women in America — especially at a time when we face continued restrictions to abortion access nationwide, attacks on the rights and safety of the LGBTQ+ community, and continued discrimination against women in the workforce and beyond. We are proud to join the National Strategy Task Force to help our nation live up to its ideals of equality and ensure everyone in America can thrive,” said Sheila Katz, CEO of National Council of Jewish Women.

“For 100 years, women have been fighting for the passage of the ERA,” said National NOW President Christian F. Nunes. “And now the extremists say the ERA is unnecessary because we live in a different and advanced society on one hand while they are actively rolling back the decades of progress we accomplished, including reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ protections, and voting access. Constitutional recognition that women are equal to men in the eyes of the law has never been more important than the present. NOW is proud to be a member of the ERA National Strategy Task Force and work with our partners to finally achieve legally guaranteed equality for all because in our current climate, we know our rights are not secure.” 

Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the amendment in January 2020, thus fulfilling all constitutional requirements set forth in Article V. Even though the ERA has met all the constitutional requirements for an amendment, making it both valid and enforceable today, it has yet to be published as part of the Constitution.

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About the ERA Coalition

The ERA Coalition and its sister organization the Fund for Women’s Equality/ERA Coalition Forward represent a movement of movements composed of 300+ partner organizations across the country, representing 80 million people. From gender, racial, economic, and reproductive justice to LGBTQ+ rights, we unite interconnected, intergenerational, and intersectional organizations under one banner: to advance sex equality. This is what unites us all. Visit their website at eracoalition.org.