Plan a trip in 2017—New York State women’s suffrage centennial—also ERA news note!

News Notes for Women’s Suffrage Centennial events & celebrations! on Vimeo.

Now that the 2017 state suffrage centennial has been launched, the next step is to plan a trip to touch into some of the festivities. SuffrageCentennials.com is one source for news and events. State events are being viewed as getting prepared for 2020, the national suffrage centennial observance when women will have been voting for 100 years. Also underway is progress on the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would guarantee equal rights for American women.

The ERA Coalition has announced the Nevada legislature’s vote to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Many Americans believe the Constitution already guarantees women equal rights, but it doesn’t. The Equal Rights Amendment was passed by Congress in 1972 and ratified by 35 states, three states short of the 38 needed to put an amendment in the Constitution. Nevada’s action to ratify the ERA, the first such vote since 1977, highlights the growing awareness of and support for the Equal Rights Amendment. The ERA Coalition stresses the need to help combat pay inequity, pregnancy discrimination, and gender-based violence.

In North Carolina, legislation to ratify the ERA was introduced in the state Senate and House in February 2017. Ten local resolutions in support of this legislation have already been passed. Ongoing recent efforts to ratify the 1972 Equal Rights Amendment include bills in Illinois, Virginia, Florida and Utah.

“Sex equality is good for men, families, and communities, as well as women” said Jessica Neuwirth, President of the ERA Coalition. “We are way behind the rest of the world in prohibiting sex discrimination in our Constitution – it’s long overdue.” The ERA Coalition represents 73 member organizations and millions of women and men who are working for passage and ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment and for greater public understanding of the need for equal treatment of women under the law. For more information: eracoalition.org.

Follow SuffrageCentennials.com on Facebook page, Twitter, email subscription, and the Quarterly Newsletter. Sign up for email on this web page. Stay up to date with postings, audio podcasts, and videos. Plan for your suffrage centennial event. And don’t forget to pass on women’s suffrage storytelling to the next generation. Suffrage Centennial videos on Vimeo.