Free screening of “Equal means equal” at santa Barbara public library

“Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.” – Proposed text of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

Almost a century after gaining the right to vote, women still do not have the equal protection under the United States Constitution that the ERA would provide. Many Americans assume that such a basic assurance is contained within our federal laws, as it is included in some state constitutions and in the federal law of many other countries around the world. Sadly, this is not the case. Although the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was proposed decades ago as an amendment to the US Constitution to ensure equality, it failed to pass after falling only three states short of ratification. When presented with the reality that we don’t have this basic protection, many react with understandable shock and confusion: how could this be?

Without the ERA, the Constitution does not explicitly guarantee that the rights it protects are held equally by all citizens without regard to sex. The right to vote, granted in 1923, is the first—and still the only—right specifically affirmed as equal for women and men. An amendment to the constitution is needed to affirm at a national level that the bedrock principles of our democracy (“all men are created equal,” “liberty and justice for all,” “equal justice under law,” “government of the people, by the people, and for the people”) apply equally to women.

For young women especially, who may not have been fully aware of (or alive for) the initial ERA campaign, the amendment’s elusiveness is confounding. Such basic protection is expected by young women, many of whom have grown up with the promise that they can be anything they want to be. However, the realities young women face in the world often fail to live up to these expectations.  And, while the long fight and previous failures demonstrate the difficulty of securing equal protection under the law, young women are increasingly unwilling to settle for the status quo, getting involved in greater numbers in events like the Women’s March and organizations like The Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee (SBWPC).

In the last few years, a renewed effort to ratify the ERA has gained momentum. Political volatility means that federal protection of equality is needed now more than ever, and women like Kamala Lopez, director of the film Equal Means Equal, aim to make that abundantly clear.

Equal Means Equal explores the gender inequality which still persists in the US—revealing the inadequacy of present laws that claim to protect women, and urging the swift ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. It is a stirring call to action to amend our Constitution and recognize that all people are created equal in dignity and in rights. It reminds those who remember the ERA’s beginning that the fight is not over for such a critically important cause, and introduces the otherwise unaware to a tangible and necessary step towards equality in the US.

As Women’s Equality Day approaches (on August 26th), let us think deeper and move further towards a worthy goal that still eludes us in 2017: equality for all. The Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee (SBWPC) and the Santa Barbara Public Library invite you to join them on Thursday, August 24th for a free screening of Equal Means Equal to explore gender inequality in the US and learn what can be done to move the Equal Rights Amendment to ratification.

This screening will be held at 6:15 p.m. in the Faulkner Gallery at the Santa Barbara Public Library, followed by a panel discussion.  It is the first in a series of events organized by SBWPC that focus on the theme A Seat at the Table, which emphasizes the importance of women in policy-making positions and in leadership roles where they can influence issues important to the quality of life for all women and families.

About Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee

Our Vision:

To achieve a society based upon the feminist values of social, political, racial and economic gender equality.

Our Mission:

As a non-partisan political action committee, the Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee endorses candidates who support its positions and promote a feminist agenda. SBWPC is committed to taking social action against discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age or ability.

To promote and fund these goals, SBWPC provides such events as Candidate Development Workshops, Endorsement Meetings, Cosmopolitics, Presidents’ Circle Luncheons, Community Outreach Events and Educational Forums.