GENDER EQUALITY ISN'T YET IN THE CONSTITUTION -- ADVOCATES CALL ON SUPPORTERS TO #SHOUTFOREQUALITY

Former U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney introduces new "SHOUT FOR EQUALITY"  campaign to transform shouts into signers and make equality a constitutional right for women and LGBTQ+ persons.

NEW YORK, March 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, former U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, along with Equal Rights Amendment advocates across the country, launched a new "SHOUT FOR EQUALITY" campaign to harness the discontent of women, in all their diversity, and everyone across the nation who supports enshrining the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) into the U.S. Constitution.

The campaign's first-of-its-kind text line will transform the people's shouts into signatures in support of the ERA petition drive urging the U.S. Congress to pass a joint resolution affirming that the Equal Rights Amendment is valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution, having been ratified by legislatures of three-fourths of the States.

The ERA Coalition and its 300-plus partner organizations, along with thousands of individuals, are participating in the ERA petition drive Sign4ERA.org. "SHOUT FOR EQUALITY" leverages the use of QR codes and social media, alongside traditional pen and paper to make sure that every voice of support is heard by Members of Congress.

Fully 80% of people in the United States believe that women are guaranteed equal rights to men under the Constitution. Despite 100 years of advocates marching, protesting, rallying, and securing the necessary 38 states having ratified the ERA, it still has not been added to the Constitution.

"We are fighting for the Equal Rights Amendment to be recognized in the Constitution to guarantee equality for all people. We need to stop the bulldozing of our rights as happened in the Dobbs decision ending universal access to abortion and now stopping IVF," said former Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, and the Chair of the ERA Coalition. "The Dobbs decision was a wakeup call if they can take back women's right there, they can take them back everywhere. An Equal Rights Amendment puts women's equal rights where they can't be touched – in the Constitution."

The Equal Rights Amendment would add these words to our Constitution: "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex." A second section reads: "The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article," and it would give Congress the power to fully implement the ERA.

Publication of the ERA would enshrine equal rights as a core value in the U.S. Constitution, finally providing an explicit guarantee of protection against discrimination on the basis of sex.

To "SHOUT FOR EQUALITY," simply follow these three steps:

1. Scan the campaign QR code included or text ERA to 1-855-681-3538
2. The chat bot will prompt you to input your name and zip code, and shout via an audio message.
3. The app will create your signature badge with your signature that can be shared on social media.

The "SHOUT FOR EQUALITY" campaign is now live, and we are asking everyone to support equality and fight against sex discrimination to use their strong voices and join in with Representative Maloney, the ERA Coalition, activists, and supporters across the nation to come together in support of the ERA.

"After decades of inaction and now in a contentious political atmosphere, formalizing the equal rights of women and LBGTQ + persons in the Constitution is critical to ensuring a fair and democratic society for years to come," said Zakiya Thomas, President and CEO of the ERA Coalition. "Inequality based on sex should not be the status quo. We are calling on supporters of constitutional sex equality to shout and be counted. We must act now," Thomas continued.

History of the ERA

The ERA was first proposed and introduced in Congress in 1923. It was overwhelmingly passed by Congress in 1972 and sent to the states for ratification. In 2020, Virginia became the 38th- and last necessary- state to ratify the ERA. However, despite fulfilling all requirements it has yet to be published as the 28th Amendment to the Constitution.

As advocates of the Equal Rights Amendment seek to fulfill this fight more than 100 years later, #ShoutForEquality is looking to additional technologies to ignite support and mobilize advocates.

The "SHOUT FOR EQUALITY" tool was developed by award-winning creative agency Ogilvy in support of the publication of the ERA.

For more information, you can visit ShoutForEquality.com,  https://eracoalition.org, and https://www.sign4era.org

About Ogilvy  
Ogilvy inspires brands and people to impact the world. We have been creating iconic, culture-changing, value-driving ideas for clients since David Ogilvy founded the company in 1948. We continue building on that rich legacy through our borderless creativity—operating, innovating, and creating at the intersection of talent and capabilities. Our experts in Advertising, Experience, Public Relations, Health, and Consulting work fluidly across more than 120 offices in over 80 countries to bring forth world-class creative solutions for our clients. Ogilvy is a WPP company (NYSE: WPP). For more information, visit Ogilvy.com, and follow us on  LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Facebook.  

Media Contacts: 
Kappie Kopp / [email protected]
Andrea Romero / [email protected] 

SOURCE Ogilvy