This is where the Equal Rights Amendment comes in. It's time to re-launch the campaign for the full ERA. On the first night of the Democratic presidential debates, Julian Castro supported ERA passage and got cheers. After the 19th Amendment was passed by Congress in 1919 and ratified in 1920, the ERA was first introduced to Congress in 1923. However, Congress did not pass the ERA until 1972 -- nearly 50 years later.

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Article originally published in the Daily Comet

By Kim Bartenfelder and Robert Weiner

The USA women's World Cup soccer victory is proof that alive and well in the worst ways is an ongoing surge of gender discrimination. Their case for equal pay is strong, but only the latest.

The biggest gender inequality, wage gap and many of the lowest-paying positions experienced in the nation are by the women of Louisiana. Confirmed by reports in USA Today in 2018, CBS and Forbes Magazine in 2019, Louisiana consistently falls at the bottom of all 50 states. The National Partnership for Women and Families in May 2019 reported that Louisiana women earn 69 cents for every dollar a man earns. The national difference in 2019 between male and female incomes was a median wage gap of $10,169. They also reported in 2017 the median annual income of Louisiana women at $33,832 while men earned $49,730, a difference of $15,898.

In mid-May, presidential candidate Kamala Harris announced a proposal to eliminate the wage gap. However, equal pay is the springboard for larger discussion full equality under the law for women.

This is where the Equal Rights Amendment comes in. It's time to re-launch the campaign for the full ERA.

On the first night of the Democratic presidential debates, Julian Castro supported ERA passage and got cheers.

After the 19th Amendment was passed by Congress in 1919 and ratified in 1920, the ERA was first introduced to Congress in 1923. However, Congress did not pass the ERA until 1972 -- nearly 50 years later.

The Congressional Research Service in 2018 reported that the ERA is caught in a web of legal confusion. The original proposal stated a seven-year deadline for ratification of, "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex." Thirty-five of the needed 38 states ratified.

The ERA is needed now more than ever because women do not have full equality. The ERA ensures it.

The assumption that gender equality exists is a failure of the American legal system.

However, as much as it would be a pleasure to solely blame the patriarchy for gender inequality, we cannot. A STOP ERA figure was Phyllis Schlafly, a conservative activist pushing for the retention of women's rights in the home and no further.

More recently with abortion legislation in Alabama, it was female Gov. Kay Ivey who signed off. These women are why only blaming men is not a solution to female equality.

According to the Institute for Women's Policy Research, a report card based on female Employment & Earnings, Political Participation, Poverty & Opportunity, Reproductive Rights, Health & Well-Being, Work & Family, is given to each state. From each category in 2015, most of the country fell around "C". Louisiana however, fell far behind "C" in all criteria -- "D" in four out of the six, failing one altogether.

Furthermore, gender discrimination happens regularly.

Pink.Tax reports that, "it costs more to be a woman" because of consumer goods and services having a "gender-based price."

In 2016, CBS investigated, sending one female and one male producer to dry cleaners in New York City to see if women were paying more. They concluded that women paid grossly more.

In 2019, MarketWatch reported that, "Adding insult to injury, female-only mortgage applicants also get rejected at a higher rate than male-only applicants". Similarly, a 2017 survey featured in The Denver Post found that, "Many women will turn to personal savings, friends and family, credit cards and other alternatives," rather than apply for banks loans.

Additionally, the Office of Personnel Management reported that women have made some progress professionally-- 14.6% are private sector executives and 34% are federal workforce executives. Also, in 2018 only 25 women were CEOs of Fortune 500 companies-- including Mary Barra of General Motors, Ginni Rometty of IBM, Michelle Gass of Kohl's, among the other 22 women.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg said last year, "I have three granddaughters. I would like to be able to take out my pocket constitution and say that the equal citizenship stature of men and women is a fundamental tenet of our society."

The ERA can be a beacon of hope -- and legal power -- for the future of women.

Robert Weiner was a Clinton and Bush White House spokesperson, and for the House Government Operations Committee. Kimberly Bartenfelder is Gender Equality policy analyst for Robert Weiner Associates and Solutions for Change.

(Article changed on July 8, 2019 at 19:29)

Authors Bio:

Robert Weiner,
NATIONAL PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND ISSUES STRATEGIST

Bob Weiner, a national issues and public affairs strategist, has been spokesman for and directed the public affairs offices of White House Drug Czar and Four Star General Barry McCaffrey, the House Government Operations Committee and Chairman John Conyers (D-MI), Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY) and the House Narcotics Committee, and was Chief of Staff for the House Aging Committee and Chairman Claude Pepper (D-FL). He also was Legislative Assistant to Ed Koch of New York and a political aide to Ted Kennedy (D-MA) for his Presidential and Senate races. Bob worked at the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate as youth voter registration director in 1971-1972 when the constitution was amended to allow 18-year olds the vote.

Since he left the White House in 2001, Bob heads up a public affairs and issue strategies company, Robert Weiner Associates. He is a regular political analyst on Radio America and has appeared on Bill Maher, CNN Crossfire, Today, Good Morning America, and the CBS, NBC, and ABC evening news. He is widely published in columns he writes on national issues in major papers throughout the country including recently the Washington Post, Denver Post, Miami Herald, Christian Science Monitor, New York Daily News, Baltimore Sun, Boston Globe, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Atlanta Constitution, New York Post, Washington Times, Sacramento Bee, Palm Beach Post, Salt Lake Tribune, Minneapolis Star Tribune, and Adweek. He is also regularly quoted in key media coast-to-coast, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, AP and Reuters, concerning the presidential campaign and national issues.