03/16/2017
Happy 84th birthday to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg! The second female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court and a current Associate Justice, Ginsburg is recognized as being one of the Court's main advocates for advancing women's rights under the law. Famous for breaking gender barriers and delivering searing dissents, she has also emerged as a feminist icon in recent years and become known by a new nickname -- Notorious RBG.
When Ginsburg was asked what amendment she would most like to see added to the U.S. Constitution, she replied that she would choose "the Equal Rights Amendment," noting that when her granddaughters read the Constitution, she would like them to see "that that is a basic principle of our society." Although more than 80% of countries guarantee gender equality in their constitutions, including, as Ginsburg noted "every constitution written since the Second World War" -- the period during which most of the world's constitutions were written -- the world's oldest written constitution does not include this protection.
In effect since 1789, the U.S. Constitution was written during a period when gender equality was far from being an important societal value. Over time, the US has passed many laws protecting women's rights but, as Ginsburg observes, "Legislation can be repealed. It can be altered... That principle belongs in our Constitution." The Amendment, which was originally drafted by suffragist Alice Paul in 1923, was nearly added to the Constitution forty years ago. It was approved by both houses of Congress and endorsed by then President Richard Nixon in 1972. It then went to the states for approval, but ultimately only received 35 of the 38 state ratifications needed to become a Constitutional Amendment.
Today, there is renewed interested in an Equal Rights Amendment, which, according to Ginsburg, would recognize that "women are people equal in stature before the law." Many older women's rights activists observe that young people are often shocked to learn that the Constitution does not guarantee equal rights for women; in fact, one survey found that 72% of adults incorrectly believed that the Constitution included such a gender equality guarantee. Whether Justice Ginsburg will see the passage of the ERA in her lifetime is uncertain but she says it's an essential part of ensuring women's equal protection, observing that a "prime part of the history of our Constitution is the story of the extension of constitutional rights to people once ignored or excluded."
A fantastic new picture book biography about Justice Ginsburg was recently released -- we highly recommend "I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark," for ages 5 to 9 at http://www.amightygirl.com/i-dissent
For adults inspired by Justice Ginsburg's life and legacy, we recommend the fantastic biography "Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg" (http://amzn.to/1NyXYfl) and her new memoir My Own Words" (http://amzn.to/2g6QlYp)
To learn more about the ERA and why it's still relevant today, check out the insightful book "Equal Means Equal: Why the Time for an Equal Rights Amendment Is Now" (http://amzn.to/1NyYrxY)
For books for children and teens about women throughout history who fought for greater rights and representation for women, check out our "Gender Discrimination" book section at http://amgrl.co/1jdxKIy
And, for our favorite t-shirt honoring women throughout history who fought for their rights, check out the "Well behaved women seldom make history" t-shirt -- available in a variety of styles and colors for all ages -- at http://www.amightygirl.com/well-behaved-women-history-shirt
