This petition calls for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment by state legislatures in the United States of America. The Equal Rights Amendment provides “equal application of the Constitution for all persons regardless of sex” (ERA). Written by Alice Paul, this amendment has been proposed to every Congress since 1923, and is just three states short of ratification. Similar to the equality of protection given to people of all races by the Fourteenth Amendment, the ERA guarantees equality to people of all genders. The ERA would raise the level of scrutiny at which discrimination is viewed, help to lessen the wage gap, provide better protection for working mothers, and encourage women to defy gender roles.

The ERA has yet to be ratified by the following states:

Nevada

Utah

New Mexico

Oklahoma

Arkansas

Missouri

Illinois

Louisiana

Alabama

Mississippi

Florida

Georgia

South Carolina

North Carolina