An Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution, intended to guarantee rights to all Americans regardless of sex, is still not part of the Constitution more than 100 years after it was first proposed. The ERA was introduced in Congress in 1923, and supporters say it would establish a clear constitutional basis for equal legal rights between women and men. While the measure has been discussed and pursued for decades, it has not been adopted as a formal constitutional amendment.
CBS reports on the ERA’s long history and how the delay has affected generations of women. Correspondent Martha Teichner speaks with three generations of women for whom equal rights under the Constitution remains unrealized. The reporting describes the ERA as a continuing promise that has not yet translated into the constitutional “bedrock” of enforceable nationwide guarantees. Overall, the account emphasizes the amendment’s origins, its intended purpose, and the fact that it has not reached ratification status required to become law.
