Women
FACTS & Expanded AVB Summaries:
Equal Rights/Equal Protection Under the Law
ERA Explainer: The Equal Rights Amendment would put protection for women and other marginalized genders directly into the United States Constitution, Equality Now. "80 percent of people in the United States think that men and women are guaranteed equal rights in the U.S. Constitution. They’re wrong. One short sentence would make all the difference to ensure people protections under the Constitution, regardless of sex or gender. The original drafters of the U.S. Constitution were all white, landholding (and many slave-holding) men. Women were never part of “the people” they envisioned in the Constitution. Many years later the Supreme Court interpreted the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to protect women to an extent, but a special category was created for gender that offers far less protection than other protected categories like race, religion or national origin. The Equal Rights Amendment Explained. The Brennan Center for Justice, January 23, 2020.Thirty-eight states have finally ratified the ERA, but whether its protections for women’s rights are actually added to the Constitution remains an open question.
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What Is the ERA's Current Status? In 2017, Nevada became the first state in 45 years to pass the ERA, followed by Illinois in 2018 and Virginia is 2020! Now that the necessary 38 states have ratified, Congress must eliminate the original deadline. In February, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.J. Res. 79. Next, we now must urge Senators to pass S.J. Res. 6, a parallel piece of legislation that eliminates the deadline. These two pieces of legislation, when passed, will eliminate one of the procedural barriers standing in the way of enshrining gender equality in the U.S. Constitution.
Equal Rights Amendment: Guaranteeing Equal Rights for Women Under The Constitution, U.S. COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS, June 1981. This report discusses this reality and responds to several questions repeatedly raised by those who favor equal rights but are uncertain about the ERA: Is the ERA still needed and how will it result in changes that are desirable? Will States be subjected to undue Federal efforts to enforce the ERA and accomplish these changes? Will State and Federal government alike be subject to undue intervention by the courts in this enforcement process? With this report, the Commission renews its call for the Nation to consider the ERA on its merits, for "such consideration can only result in ratification and the long-awaited guarantee to women and men of equal justice under law."
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FACT SHEET 1: The 4 Building Blocks of Financial Security for Women and Their Families
FACT SHEET 2: Economic Issues for Women in Texas Economic Issues for Women in Texas 2020, Texas Women's Foundation. Published every three years, Economic Issues for Women in Texas examines both policies and practices at the state level, while identifying areas where innovation and investment can help strengthen women and their families. We encourage our Army of Advocates across Texas to use the study—and its platform of specific recommendations and potential actions—with lawmakers, as well as business and community leaders, to help shape policies and practices that impact women and girls. We also take the study to various cities around the state, convening with partners and advocates from local communities to engage and mobilize around priority issues, initiatives and programs. See also TXWF's website.
If the Senate doesn't bail out the childcare industry, economists see women leaving the workforce en masse, Business Insider, August 2, 2020.
Founded by Muslim women, Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation empowers, promotes and supports all women and their families—a mission that ultimately creates stronger communities. Since 2005, Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation has been an ambassador of the peaceful, caring Muslim community.
DOMESTICAS UNIDAS. Since their establishment in San Antonio on October 12, 2012, Domesticas Unidas has worked towards empowering domestic workers in San Antonio, Texas and its surroundings. Its members include women who clean houses, care for children, and provide for the sick and elderly in their homes. The organization's work began at the bus, where women were on their way to their jobs and hearing the painful stories of the abuses that domestic workers faced every day. Low pay, long hours, psychological and physical abuse, and even sexual assault. Domesticas Unidas advocates for its members, provides technical training on domestic work and teaches them how to negotiate with potential employers for fair treatment.
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