Who was the woman against the Equal Rights Amendment?
Asked by: Bailey Jaskolski | Last update: May 15, 2026Score: 4.9/5 (44 votes)
The prominent woman who led the opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was Phyllis Schlafly, a conservative activist and author who argued the ERA threatened traditional family roles, marriage protections, and women's status as mothers, effectively mobilizing a grassroots movement that helped prevent its ratification in the 1970s.
Who was opposed to the Equal Rights Amendment?
Back in the 1970s, when state ratification debates were raging, conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly and others opposed to the ERA argued that it would require unisex bathrooms. Today, most people who oppose the ERA appear to be motivated chiefly by concerns that it would strengthen abortion rights.
Who opposed the women's rights movement?
The National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage (NAOWS) was the first national organization of women who challenged the fight for women's suffrage. Several state associations assembled for an anti-suffrage convention in New York City and formed the NAOWS.
Who led the movement to stop the Equal Rights Amendment?
Phyllis Schlafly, a conservative activist, commentator, and author, led a successful campaign against the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s.
Why did some women's rights activists oppose the Equal Rights Amendment?
Why? Well, organized labor was the biggest hurdle, and they and women's groups in opposition argued that the ERA would wipe out protections for women in business. They argued that these protections to give women a special place in industry would be destroyed if women were forced to be equal to men.
The Equal Rights Amendment: A Woman's Prerogative
Why are Republicans against the Equal Rights Amendment?
In opposition. Many opponents of the ERA focus on the importance of traditional gender roles. They argued that the amendment would guarantee the possibility that women would be subject to conscription and be required to have military combat roles in future wars if it were passed.
Which woman fought for equal rights?
Elizabeth Cady Stanton and women like Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone, and Sojourner Truth traveled the country lecturing and organizing for the next forty years. Eventually, winning the right to vote emerged as the central issue, since the vote would provide the means to achieve the other reforms.
Who was the anti ERA lady?
Schlafly became an outspoken opponent of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) during the 1970s as the organizer of the "STOP ERA" campaign. STOP was a backronym for "Stop Taking Our Privileges".
What 5 states rescinded the Equal Rights Amendment?
By 1977, only 35 states had ratified the ERA. Though Congress voted to extend the ratification deadline by an additional three years, no new states signed on. Complicating matters further, lawmakers in five states — Nebraska, Tennessee, Idaho, Kentucky, and South Dakota — voted to rescind their earlier support.
Why did the Equal Rights Amendment fail in 1982?
Despite winning congressional approval, the proposed amendment was not ratified by the required two-thirds majority of the states, in part because critics feared that protecting against gender discrimination would confuse gender distinctions and, therefore, legitimize homosexuality.
Which party opposed women's right to vote?
Perhaps the president's speech would win the support of senators known to oppose the measure, a coalition of southern Democrats and northeastern Republicans known as the “unholy alliance.” Collectively, they opposed women's suffrage for a variety of reasons.
Which group opposed the women's suffrage movement the most?
In 1911, Josephine Dodge, who also led a movement to establish day care centers to help working mothers, founded the National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage (NAOWS). The NAOWS was most popular in northeastern cities.
Which president was against women's suffrage?
Women's suffrage was at a critical point and Europe was almost in crisis. The day before his second inauguration, Alice Paul helped organized a march of eight thousand women, protesting for suffrage. Despite this parade, Wilson was able to ignore suffrage during most of his first term.
Who is the female right wing commentator?
Michelle Malkin. Michelle Malkin (/ˈmɔːlkɪn/; née Maglalang; born October 20, 1970) is an American conservative political commentator. She was a Fox News contributor and in May 2020 joined Newsmax TV.
What states did not ratify women's right to vote?
Much of the opposition to the amendment came from Southern Democrats; only two former Confederate states (Texas and Arkansas) and three border states voted for ratification, with Kentucky and West Virginia not doing so until 1920. Alabama and Georgia were the first states to defeat ratification.
Which party supported equal rights?
While the text of the ERA varied over the decades, the goal remained the same: ensuring that women and men have equal rights under the law. In 1940, the Republican Party became the first major party to endorse the amendment in its platform.
Which two states originally rejected the Constitution?
Securing the ninth state was not going to be an easy task. In fact, North Carolina and Rhode Island did not ratify the Constitution until November 1789 and May 1790, respectively. They did so only after the First Congress sent 12 amendment proposals to the states for ratification.
Which state never ratified the Equal Rights Amendment?
The 15 states that did not ratify the Equal Rights Amendment before the 1982 deadline were Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia.
Why did the Equal Rights Amendment fail in 1923?
The equality rhetoric of the ERA and its proponents could not overcome the fears engendered by the campaign against its ratification. The sight of traditional women vocalizing their opposition to the amendment altered the political dynamic in enough states to cause the ERA's failure.
Who is the most famous female activist?
There isn't one single "most famous" woman activist, as fame varies by era and cause, but Malala Yousafzai, Gloria Steinem, and historical figures like Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Rosa Parks, and Emmeline Pankhurst are consistently recognized globally for their massive impact on women's rights, education, and civil rights. Yousafzai is famous for her global fight for girls' education, Steinem for modern feminism, Anthony & Stanton for suffrage, Parks for civil rights, and Pankhurst for UK suffrage.
Who was the first woman to fight for equal rights?
There wasn't a single "first" woman, but Elizabeth Cady Stanton, often with Lucretia Mott, spearheaded the organized U.S. women's rights movement by organizing the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention, issuing the "Declaration of Sentiments," and advocating for broader equality, though figures like Sojourner Truth and Susan B. Anthony were crucial early voices and partners, fighting for suffrage and abolition.
Did Lucy Burns ever marry?
No, suffragist Lucy Burns never married; she remained single, had no children, and even criticized married women for not joining the suffrage movement, later retiring from activism to care for family and dedicate herself to the Catholic Church after the 19th Amendment passed.
What are the big three feminist?
Traditionally feminism is often divided into three main traditions, sometimes known as the "Big Three" schools of feminist thought: liberal/mainstream feminism, radical feminism and socialist or Marxist feminism.
Who is the most famous suffragette?
Emmeline Pankhurst (UK) and Susan B. Anthony (US) are arguably the most famous suffragettes, leading militant and strategic campaigns, respectively, in their nations' fight for women's voting rights, with Pankhurst known for "deeds not words" and Anthony for organizing lectures and conventions, both becoming global icons of the suffrage movement.
Who was the first lady to fight for women's rights?
Eleanor Roosevelt. “First Lady of the World” Eleanor Roosevelt used her platform as First Lady of the United States and as a member of the wealthy and prominent Roosevelt family to advocate for human and civil rights.