Fight for gender justice is far from over

“Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex” reads the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). If someone can’t be discriminated against based on sex, then, in turn, they cannot be discriminated against based on gender or sexual orientation. 

Introduced in Congress in 1972 — exactly 50 years ago — it was sent to the states for ratification, but there’s a catch: states had ten years to ratify or the amendment would not be federally enacted. Clearly, the deadline has passed, so there is a bill in the House currently trying to remove the deadline. However, it is unlikely that it will pass, given the Senate filibuster and the extremely conservative Supreme Court. 

While California ratified the ERA in 1972, this is not the case from sea to shining sea. Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Louisiana, Utah, Mississippi, and Missouri are yet to ratify the amendment. 

Aside from the ERA, women and non-men’s rights need constant reaffirming.  People assigned female at birth around the world face barriers to education, economic injustices, climate injustices, and more, at much higher rates than men because of systemic and interpersonal discrimination. Women with intersecting identities experience exponentially intensified oppression and discrimination. As bell hooks explained, for example, Black women are constantly ignored in society while facing the brunt of racism and sexism systemically and interpersonally. 

While women have made progress in the U.S. government, other countries have made more space for women. “‘In 2022 the U.S. is tied for 72nd place with Egypt and the Philippines,” said Cynthia Richie Terrell of the advocacy organization RepresentWomen. 

“Countries ranked above the U.S. don’t have better qualified women, rather, they have electoral systems that create more opportunities for women to run and win,” shared The Fulcrum’s David Meyers. 

In non-governmental spheres, there have been severe, unanswered fights for gender justice through equal pay, often not in the public eye. 

The U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) women’s soccer team has been in a long fight for pay equity, and was given a band-aid solution in February. The women’s soccer team has had far less support and lower pay than the U.S. men’s team (who aren’t world champions), even though they have won four recent world championships. The “band-aid solution” to this fight is that the women’s team received a $24 million settlement. 

When non-men are truly equal, there will not be Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Two Spirits (Indigenous people who embody a masculine and feminine spirit); there will not be trans women murdered in the streets; there will not be a wage gap; there will not be bans on gender and sexuality studies; there will not be bans on trans kids getting gender affirming care; Black women will not be ignored or controlled. Women will not face implications of the climate crisis at higher rates. There will be justice.