IV.

Discrimination Against Women

American women have historically been victimized by discrimination in voting (which was not secured for women until a 1920 constitutional amendment), employment, and other civil rights (for many years, for example, women were denied the right to serve on juries). In the late 1960s women organized to demand legal equality with men. They founded the National Organization for Women and other groups to press for equality in education, employment, and government. As a result of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, women made some gains against employment discrimination. During the 1970s, the effort was pressed not only against discriminatory practices but also against outmoded attitudes toward the role of women in society. In 1972 Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the Constitution and submitted it to the states for ratification. The ERA was designed to eliminate the last vestiges of legal discrimination against women. With only 35 of the required 38 states ratifying the amendment, however, the necessary approval was not secured by the 1982 deadline. Although this was a defeat for the feminist movement, working toward the ERA built a skilled leadership of female politicians and lobbyists. The goals of the ERA are being achieved through piecemeal legislation and through several lawsuits brought to the Supreme Court under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.