Pro-ERA Button, 1972-1982

Description:

This button urging support for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was collected at the National Conference for International Women’s Year in 1977.

In 1972 the Equal Rights Amendment, designed to guarantee protection against sexual discrimination for women under the law, passed both houses of Congress and was sent to the individual states for ratification. Groups on both sides of the issue mobilized to lobby the states for and against passage.

The ERA failed to meet the requisite number of state ratifications (38) by Congress’ deadline of June 30, 1982 and so was not adopted as a Constitutional amendment. It has been reintroduced several times.