Fulfilling My Great-Grandmother’s Legacy for an Equal Rights Amendment

April 18, 2021 | By Posie Cowan 

Several generations of women in my family have been working for Constitutional rights for women starting with my great grandmother. 

The latest fight is over a joint resolution that would remove an arbitrary timeline so that the amendment can finally be ratified. Sen. Susan Collins is a cosponsor of the bill, and Sen Angus King will join her, as he did with a similar bill two years ago. I am hopeful that both of them will be strong advocates for its passage.

My journey to becoming an ardent advocate and co-founder of ERA Maine began when I was clearing out my father’s attic and found a carton of curtains tucked away in the corner. Below the curtains, hidden out of sight, were four banners – over 100 years old – that chronicled the last decade of the women’s suffrage movement from 1913 -1920. 

Sophie (Posie) Cowan lives in Maine. She is a retired divorce mediator and couple’s therapist who gives presentations about the need for both a state and federal ERA. This article originally appeared in the Portland Press Herald.

Statement by Eleanor Smeal, President, Feminist Majority On the Equal Rights Amendment and the Violence Against Women Act

There’s no deadline on women’s equality. Add the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution.

COVID impact on women spotlights the continued need for equality. Congress has the power to remove the ERA ratification deadline and make it a reality.

March 16, 2021 | by Dolores Huerta, Carol Jenkins and Eleanor Smeal

For the second time in a century, a global pandemic has occurred at the height of a determined movement to expand women’s rights under the U.S. Constitution. The 1918 flu pandemic nearly halted the drive for ratification of the 19th Amendment on women’s suffrage.But advocates rallied, lobbied President Woodrow Wilson for support and urged Congress to pass a joint resolution adopting the amendment. That was followed by ratification by the states and final certification in August 1920.

Today, the campaign for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment is in the middle of another global pandemic with women losing jobs at a much higher rate than men, especially affecting women of color. In these first 100 days of the Biden-Harris administration and during Women’s History Month, there is a real opportunity to make constitutional history again with lasting change for women’s rights and gender equality by adding the ERA to the Constitution.

March 17, 2021 | Eleanor Smeal

Today the United States House of Representatives voted that there is no time limit on equality.

Now it’s up to the Senate to agree and clear the path for the ERA to be in the Constitution so that equality of rights shall not be denied or abridged on account of sex.

Feminists everywhere say thank you to Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Nadler and Representatives Speier, Maloney, and the majority of Members who cast a vote today for women across the county and for all people who are in the pursuit of equality.

For more information go to: ERAyes2021.org.