The Equal Rights Amendment: A Constitutional Basis for Equal Rights for Women

Abstract

In the present legal structure, some laws exclude women from legalrights, opportunities, or responsibilities. Some are framed as legislationconferring special benefits, or protection, on women. Others create orperpetuate a separate legal status without indicating on their facewhether the position of women ranks below, or above, the positionof men. Many of the efforts to create a separate legal status for womenstem from a good faith attempt to advance the interests of women.Nevertheless, the preponderant effect has been to buttress the socialand economic subordination of women