The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was introduced in the U. S. Congress for the first time in 1921 and has prompted conversations about the meaning of equality for women and men ever since. With the rise of the women's movement in the 1960s, the ERA garnered increasing support, was reintroduced to Congress in 1972, and was submitted to the state legislatures for ratification. Only 31 states had ratified the amendment when the 1979 deadline arrived, so President Carter signed a three-year extension. Many women across the country staged demonstrations in support of the ERA, however no additional states ratified the ERA during the extension. As of 2018 just 36 states had ratified the ERA, although 24 states have adopted constitutions or constitutional amendments providing that equal rights under the law shall not be denied because of sex.

In this image, ERA supporters at the Federal Building in downtown Seattle listened to a speaker during a rally attended by about 250 people.

Caption information source: The Seattle Times, July 1, 1981, p. 3