Issue date: 2/24/09 Section: News

Emily Battin speaks of different countries that have Equal Rights Amendments compared to the U.S. Monday in the Lumpkin Auditorium. (Karolina Strack/The Daily Eastern News)

Women are not the only ones involved in the process of getting the Equal Rights Amendment ratified in the United States Constitution. Some men have a strong connection to it as well.

"Men realize that this is a family and not just a female issue," said Emily Battin, former president for the Business and Professional Women.

Rep. Lou Lang, D-Ill., brings up the Equal Rights Amendment every year.

Battin spoke at 7 p.m. Monday in the Lumpkin Auditorium for the "The Equal Rights Amendment: Not Just a Blast from the Past" presentation. Battin discussed how the Equal Rights Amendment does not grant any rights not already there for women; it just provides a way to bring them forward.

"There are plenty of people who think the work is done," Battin said. "We have come a long way, but we have got a longer way to go."

However, these only mention "people" and not "women."

The Fourteenth Amendment gave African Americans the privileges of American citizenship and the Fifteenth Amendment stopped the denial of the right to vote on the basis of race, color or previous condition of servitude.

In 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment was passed, giving women the right to vote.

Because of the slow progress for a federal Equal Rights Amendment, 21 states have passed an Equal Rights Amendment in their state constitution, Illinois included.

She brought up statistics about sexual harassment and discrimination in the military that said nearly one in three respondents of all ages say they have been taken advantage of sexually. She also brought up another statistic that said one in four women are sexually harassed or raped in general.

Also in the presentation, Battin said Washington and Connecticut are the best states for women's rights and New Mexico and Louisiana are the worst.

The amendment failed in 1982, but is brought up again every year.

There are 15 unratified states in the U.S. Constitution dealing with the Equal Rights Amendment, with Illinois being one.

To be ratified, it means they have agreed to put that amendment into the Constitution.

Thirty-eight states are needed for the amendment to pass and 35 have ratified it so far.

Samantha Lynch, president of the Business and Professional Women on campus, said the presentation showed that people care about the Equal Rights Amendment.

"Some people don't know about these issues," she said. "I think it is important for people to know this is still an issue."

Mary Nance Miller, of the Coles County chapter of Business and Professional Women, helped bring Battin to Eastern.

"I think it will benefit women on campus and in the community," she said.


Heather Holm can be reached at 581-7942 or haholm@eiu.edu.

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