What do you think the effect of the ERA will be on jobs for women?

[cap]

Breaking the glass ceiling, ensuring that there are less layoffs for women than for men, etc.

[Captain_Nemo]

1. ERA

The ERA was clearly a big blow for women's rights. Corporations ensured its destruction. I think an ERA will help women's equality in the workplace but more importantly I think it would enhance women's place in our society.

[VelmaD]

2. hopefully it will discourage...

the kind of workplace discrimination that some people don't want to admit still exists. It'll make it easier for women to sue for equal pay for equal work. It'll make it harder for people to justify policies that disproportionately affect women. Right now suits on those issues are not taken very serious by the EEOC or the higher courts...this would reaffirm that the people (through their legislators) believe that "we the people" actually means women too...that we count and that discrimination against us in the workplace (and anywhere else) is wrong and will not be tolerated.

[Up2Late]

3. Nothing, but I find it disgraceful that it's 2007 and it's still "controversial"

Just pass it already! It's time!

[Sadie4629]

4. I worked with a right wing nutjob in the early '80s

who was against the ERA because it would mean there would only be unisex bathrooms in public places. When I told her what the actual words in the amendment were, she wouldn't believe me.

[VelmaD]

5. do these people not realize...

that their bathrooms at home are unisex?

[Nobody]

6. That's such a ridiculous excuse, and not even original

The last time I heard it was when ERA was up for vote. This idiocy came from my mother and sister.

If I hear it again I will say:

"And that's a problem because...."

(If they take this ridiculous excuse seriously, I will point out the lines at the bathroom being super long, even at the car show last year, while men breeze in and out. This often leads to women using the men's room.)

Equal wages are far more important than segregating restrooms.

[cap]

7. It's time to refocus the women's movement on working conditions

I know that other social conditions are important. But women's work has been woefully neglected.

[Nobody]

8. But women can multitask!

It's a shame many men don't want to. They can if they try.

Back in the 1800s, women multitasked civil rights for black men and civil rights for all women. Men complained that the black men were more important, the ladies had to wait their turn.

Women have been told over and over again that we should put our very important concerns on the back burner. Isn't the (pick your favorite issue) situation more important than your right to have safe working conditions and your right to be paid the same as everyone else doing your job with the same education and experience? Isn't the (pick something) situation more important than your access to resume-enhancing opportunities?

Turn waiting doesn't work. When one issue is solved, others will pop up to take its place and we will never get off that back burner.