January 27, 2022

Dear Senators and Members of Congress,

Today you will hear a great deal about how the Equal Rights Amendment is a done deal, that it has been legally ratified and is now part of the Constitution, and that this is a great step forward for equality. None of these things are true.

The ERA expired decades ago and cannot now be added to the Constitution. Doing so will deprive American voters – the majority of them women – of the opportunity to have a full and honest conversation about the amendment and its consequences. 

In 2022, American women and men are equal under law. Adding the ERA to the Constitution now would go much further, requiring the government to treat men and women exactly the same in all circumstances.

Put simply, the ERA will eliminate:

  • Single-sex prisons, restrooms, and publicly funded women’s shelters
  • Sororities, single-sex athletic teams, and single-sex dorm rooms at public universities
  • Federally funded STEM grants for women and girls, along with any other programs designated to specifically benefit women and girls.

ERA proponents would have you believe that all of this is a fait accompli. But it is not. 

We urge you to uphold the congressionally-imposed ERA ratification deadline and declare the ERA DOA. Let’s give today’s voters an opportunity for a full and honest discussion about the risks of adopting this out-of-date proposal. 

Sincerely,

Inez Stepman
Senior Policy Analyst
Independent Women’s Forum

Jennifer C. Braceras
Director
Independent Women’s Law Center

Hadley Heath Manning
Director of Policy
Independent Women’s Voice