The ERA
Not all modern efforts to broaden women's rights have been successful. In 1972, Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and sent it to the states for ratification. The proposed amendment read: "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of sex. '' Supporters of the ERA argued that the amendment would provide specific constitutional guarantees of equal treatment under the law, regardless of sex. Opponents argued that passage of the ERA would require women to serve in the military and would deprive them of the right to financial support from their husbands. The amendment failed to become part of the Constitution because only 35 of the necessary 38 states had approved it by the 1982 deadline.
Excerpt adapted from the "Women's movements" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999