1. ABSTRACT The Equal Rights Amendment for women (ERA) is a proposed constitutional amendment calling for equal rights and protection regardless of gender under the Constitution of the United States of America. The National Organization for Women (NOW) is in favor of the ERA because they believe it offers a permanent guarantee of basic human rights for women. The Eagle Forum, a national conservative organization founded and headed by Phyllis Schlafly, objects to the ERA because they feel it has hidden agendas promoting tax-free abortions and same-sex marriages. NOW’s interests include the promotion of economic, political, and social equality of women, while the Eagle Forum’s interests include the maintenance of traditional family values. We propose that these two groups come together to negotiate a solution that will take into account basic human needs, as well as the protection of family values. Possible solutions include re-writing the ERA so that it meets these criteria and appeases both groups. Should the US Government Pass the Equal Rights Amendment? Sondra Malling, Lindsey Ravizza, Fida Khalil NEGOATIORS: The National Organization for Women (NOW) is for the ERA. The Eagle Forum is against the ERA. This issue will be moderated by the US Congress. OBJECTIVE CRITERIA -Wages: Women make 23 cents an hour less than men. -Nearly 75% of America’s 4 million elderly poor are women INTRODUCTION Although there have been many efforts to get women equal rights since the nineteenth century, the Equal Rights Amendment for women (ERA) was first written introduced by Alice Paul in 1923. The Amendment was then introduced in every session of the American congress until it was passed in1972. The congress passed the amendment and sent it to the states to be ratified with a seven-year deadline on the ratification. In the first year, the Amendment won twenty-two state ratifications out of the thirty-eight necessary ones. But then emerged the opposition for the amendment, which made the pace slow down. In 1973, the amendment got only eight ratifications, and in 1974 it got only three then one in 1975, and there was no ratification in 1976. As a result of a public pressure led by the national organization for woman (NOW), The deadline of the ratification –which was supposed to be in 1979 - was extended in July 1978 until June 30, 1982. Between that time and 1980, politics became more conservative in nature, and the ERA couldn’t get the three more state ratifications that it needs. In 1982, the ERA was introduced in congress again but this time with bills that set no deadline for the ratifications. If three more states ratify, the Amendment might be part of the constitution. In 2002, bills were introduced in some legislative sessions in five states, and there were big efforts from the supporters to pass those bills to all the unratified states. COMMON INTERESTS -Equal pay for women -Protect women’s rights in best way possible -Avoidance of discrimination against women POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS! -Rewriting the ERA so that both parties are appeased -Passing a law instead of an amendment -Passing the ERA as is. -Doing nothing at all. REFERENCES http://www.eagleforum.org/era/ http://www.equalrightsamendment.org/ http://www.now.org/issues/education/constitutio n/index.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal_Rights_Amen dment