For the Equal Rights Amendment

The most prominent theme addressed in Chisholm’s “For the Equal Rights Amendment’’ is gender equality. The entire premise of the Equal Rights Amendment—and Chisholm’s support of this law—is the belief that all people, regardless of sex, should be given equal opportunities and protections under the law. Chisholm elaborates on this theme continually throughout the speech and offers a wide variety of examples of the impact of gender equality (and inequality) on individuals and society as a whole. Particularly, Chisholm shows the negative impact of the current gender discrimination that is legally allowed to take place, and she points to the ways that formalizing gender equality in the United States Constitution would change the American workplace, economy, and society at large for the better.

The power available to males and females in any particular society is often a significant factor in the way civilization is structured, and social order is maintained. Though many modern societies have taken on a patriarchal—or male-centric—power structure, this is not the case for many other civilizations throughout human history. Indigenous groups such as India’s Khasi tribe, the Akan people of Ghana, and the Chickasaw people of North America have all utilized matriarchal power systems. In these communities, women occupy significant leadership roles in governing the society and often make the most important decisions for the community.