The Equal Rights Amendment should be passed into law because the institutions meant
to protect women's rights were insufficient.
For example, in her speech supporting the Equal Rights Amendment, Congresswoman
Shirley Chisholm argues that the Equal Employment Commission is inadequate "with its power
limited to investigation, conciliation, and recommendation to the Justice Department"
(Chisholm). Chisholm utilizes logos to prove that the commission doesn't have enough power to
protect women from discrimination by showing how it cannot punish anybody for sexual
discrimination. This illustrates that the equal rights amendment should be passed into law
because the institutions meant to protect women from discrimination were not powerful enough
as shown through the Equal Employment Commission, while the Equal Rights Amendment
would overrule any discriminatory state laws and loopholes, allowing for women to have a
higher chance for employment.
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However, some might argue that the Equal Rights Amendment should not be passed
because jobs for women are unnecessary. For example, in her essay by Phyllis Schlafly, she
argues that women are respected in American society because "American husbands work hours
of overtime to buy a fur piece or other finery to keep their wives in fashion, and pay premiums
on their life insurance policies to provide for her comfort when she is a widow" (Schlafly).
Although women are not expected to work in American society and live off their husband's
wage, Schlafly fails to account for those in poverty who could need multiple breadwinners to
make ends meet. In addition, this forces women to be dependent on their husbands and if the
husband were to be abusive she would be more inclined to endure it with the knowledge that
she wouldn't be able to earn a living wage