The Equal Rights Amendment is one of the most contested aspects of the Constitution since its proposal. It promises equal rights for every American citizen regardless of sex. The conflict stems from whether it is a law that deals with a separate concept or if it’s just an addition to the Fourteenth Amendment, which deals with equality in citizenship. Biondi (2021) states that, at first, most politicians were against its passage because they believed it would conflict with the Fourteenth Amendment. Many people were concerned that a law like that would be used to invalidate the amendment and make its standard useless (Biondi 2021). However, in the 1920s, suffragists like Alice Paul and their group started promoting the Equal Rights Amendment.
The objection of the constitutional reform encountered objectivity from major houses. As per Repucci (2020), when it was introduced to Congress, the Equal Rights Amendment was met with resistance from both men and women in Congress. The Fourteenth Amendment, which states that all men are created equal, had just been passed. Women’s suffrage was met with much opposition, but once the Fourteenth Amendment passed, offering women the freedom to vote, it was assumed that their fight for equality was over. Women’s rights activists argued that their fight was not over. Despite their efforts, the Equal Rights Amendment lost momentum and was almost forgotten.
The historical importance and contemporary significance prevent the constitutional amendments from being canceled. It should be addressed by the United States Senate and dealt with as soon as possible. The movement to ratify the equal rights amendment is, in fact, a movement of freedom and liberties. Regarding the Fourteenth Amendment, Biondi (2021) states that it has not been fully implemented and it has not been repudiated. There is no reason for the amendment to be repealed. The amendment’s history shows that it was never intended to deal with separate concepts. The equal rights amendment has the same goal as the Fourteenth Amendment, but will be a stronger measure for women’s suffrage.
References
Biondi, M. (2021). The Struggle for Civil Rights in Postwar New York City: To Stand and Fight. Harvard University Press.
Repucci, S. (2020). The freedom house survey for 2019: the leaderless struggle for democracy. Journal of Democracy, 31(2), 137-151. Web.