Vote Equality!
The Equal Rights Amendment IS our 28th Amendment!
“How do we compare to other countries?”
- Gender equality is included in 168 international constitutions but not in ours (source, Southern Legal Counsel as filed in their DC Circuit amicus brief). Our state department required Afghanistan to add gender equality to their constitution but it is missing in ours.
- In 2018, the United States was ranked as the 10th most dangerous country in the world for women. We tied for third with Syria for countries where women most risked sexual violence, harassment and coercion into sex, and sixth regarding non-sexual violence such as domestic and mental abuse (source, Reuters).
- Every year the World Economic Forum measures gender equality in countries around the world and America.
- In 2020 America ranked 53rd of 153 countries (source, World Economic Forum)
- In 2024 America ranked 43rd of 146 countries (source, World Economic Forum)
- RANK 22: Economic Participation and Opportunity
- RANK 1 (28 way tie): Educational Attainment
- RANK 77: Health and Survival
- RANK 63: Political Power
- The World Bank Group’s Women, Business and the Law examines laws and regulations affecting women globally, the United States scored 91.3 percent out of 100 falling behind countries like Peru and Albania. The United States loses points every year because we lack laws guaranteeing equal pay and equal pensions in addition to lacking laws for parental leave. (source, World Bank Group).
- Of the 29 members of OECD , America is ranked 18th in the Glass Ceiling Index. (source, summary in Axios / details in The Economist (subscription required).
- At the current rate of progress, the gender equality gap will not close for another 95 years in the United States (source, World Economic Forum ). Although nobody living today will see gender equality in their lifetime, we can work to ensure constitutional gender equality now.
It will take 286 years for the world to achieve gender equality.
World Economic Forum
- Women’s equal participation and leadership in political and public life are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. (source, UN Women).
- Eighty-five percent of U.N. member states have constitutions that explicitly guarantee equality for women and girls and United States is not one of these countries. (source, Smith College)
- For more information on gender violence please see our FAQ “Gender Violence.”
ADDITIONAL FAQs
What Changes
“What will the 28th Amendment (Equal Rights) really do?”
About Us
“Who is VoteEqualityUS and what’s your plan?”
ABA Resolution
“What does the legal profession think?”
Abortion
“Doesn’t this open the door for abortion rights?”
Bathrooms
“Will we all have to use the same bathrooms?”
Bipartisan
“Do most Americans support Equal Rights in our Constitution?”
Business Case
“How does gender equality impact businesses?”
Contracts
“Won’t women contractors lose enhanced status for contract bids?”
Convention
“Can’t we just do this during the constitutional convention?”
Deadline
“Didn't the ratification deadline already pass?”
Discrimination
“What government gender discrimination is happening now?”
Draft
“Does constitutional equality mean women will be drafted?”
Equal Pay
“Will this help women get paid more equally?”
Family Law
“How will the Equal Rights Amendment impact family law?”
Fear of Unknown
“How can we do this when we don't know what will happen?”
Gender Violence
“How can constitutional gender equality help with gender violence?”
Ginsburg
“Didn’t RBG say something about starting over?”
History
“What is the history of the 28th Amendment (Equal Rights)?”
Illinois v Ferriero
“Isn’t there a court case about the 28th Amendment (Equal Rights)?”
Insurance
“What about insurance? Someone said my rates will go up.”
International
“How do we compare to other countries?”
Intersectionality
“Is the 28th Amendment (Equal Rights) for all of us?”
Military
“How will the Equal Rights Amendment impact our military?”
Pregnancy
“Will this help with pregnancy discrimination?”
Rescissions
“Didn’t a few states rescind their ratifications?”
Social Security
“Will my widow lose her social security benefits when I die?”
Sports
“Will my daughter lose her girls only soccer team?”
Tax Exempt Status
“Will my church lose its tax exempt status?”
Title VII and Title IX
“How is this different from Title VII and Title IX?”
Topless
“Will women now be walking around topless?”
Transgender
“Will this provide protections for transgender individuals?”
