DA Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) Resolution

Democrats Abroad passed a resolution during the DPCA International Meeting held in May 2018 in Tokyo to support and help with the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.  The resolution was submitted by Shari Temple and Quaide Williams of DA Germany.  It passed unanimously.  Here is the full text of the resolution.

WHEREAS the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly grant equal rights to women;

WHEREAS the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the Constitution was first introduced in Congress in 1923;

WHEREAS Congress passed the ERA in 1972 and, as required by the Constitution, sent it to the States for ratification;

WHEREAS only 35 of the required 38 States ratified the amendment to the Constitution by the specified deadline;

WHEREAS a 36^th state, Nevada, ratified the amendment on March 21, 2017 because, according to the bill’s chief sponsor, “The ERA is about equality, period;”

WHEREAS over the past five years, two other states (Illinois and Virginia) have come close to ratifying it;

WHEREAS women’s rights, including but not limited to reproductive rights, are in jeopardy;

WHEREAS women’s wages are less than 80% of men’s wages and “equal pay for equal work” lacks any form of legal protection;

WHEREAS a Constitutional amendment would make explicit that equal rights for women are guaranteed and protected by the law of the land;

WHEREAS Democrats should build on the momentum generated following the election of Trump, the ongoing sexual harassment and abuse scandals highlighted by the #metoo movement, and recent renewed interest in the ERA;

WHEREAS The members of Democrats Abroad, living in over 190 countries in the world, include women voters in all 50 states;

WHEREAS Democrats Abroad has expressed support in its 2016 Platform for revival of the campaign to ratify the ERA;

WHEREAS the Democratic Party Platform of 2016 similarly expressed support for revival of the campaign to ratify the ERA;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Democrats Abroad shall initiate a campaign among its members to promote the passage of the ERA;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT Democrats Abroad will urge the Democratic National Committee and the Party as a whole to strive for the enactment of the Equal Rights Amendment;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT Democrats Abroad will work with the DNC and the State parties to promote and support the campaigns to gain passage of the ERA.