The largest obstacle that hinders the passage of this amendment is the deadline by which individual states must ratify the amendment after it has been approved by Congress. This deadline blocked the passage of the ERA in 1982, ten years after the amendment was approved by both houses of Congress and President Nixon. If we are to ensure that women are given the same rights as men, it is essential that we remove this unnecessary deadline through passage of House Joint Resolution 47 and allow previous ratifications by states to apply in the ongoing ratification process.
The statistics regarding violence against women, in addition to pay inequity and the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions, are all symptoms of society's sustained discrimination against women. If America wishes to serve as an international example of liberty and just governance we must ensure that all of our citizens are afforded the same rights, and that institutionalized discrimination is stomped out. We must all come together, regardless of religious beliefs or political opinions, in order to guarantee equal treatment under the law and the end to gender discrimination in all segments of our society.