Equal Rights Amendment, abbreviated as ERA, refers to an amendment to the US constitution which was proposed to ensure that civil rights of individuals would not be denied based on their gender or sex (Steiner, 2011). The defeat of the ERA in 1982 was shocking especially due to the point that it was popular. Thus, various authors have evaluated the reasons for which it failed citing among other reasons, the little support that it had in groups that were very influential politically (Soule & Olzak, 2004). Even so, the status of women is changing in the world and nothing can stop that.

Position on the Equal Rights Amendment
The U.S. Constitution should change with the times. The status of women in the society has changed (Burris, 1983). While opponents to the implementation of ERA cite various reasons, both cultural and political, there are underlying fears among groups that oppose ERA. Nonetheless, ERA is not only progressive but very beneficial to the society today; not just to the United States.

Three Justifications and Arguments
ERA failed back then due to the insecurity that married women who were dependent on their men for economic support had (Burris, 1983). This has, however, changed. Many women have become emancipated economically since then. Additionally, men with little income as compared to their wives would benefit if ERA is implemented as Burris (1983), points out. Even so, male chauvinists oppose this; more so, the ones from the lower middle class. This points to an economic self-interest theory among these men. ERA is beneficial because of many things among them:

Gender discriminating laws will be abolished (Steiner, 2011).
The equal rights advocated are designed for everyone; to be held by all people.
There will be legal basis for women’s rights.

The ERA has been debated for a long time. It takes a while for policies to be changed. According to King & Soule (2006), there are three stages to the development of policies. They state this in reference to the ratification of the ERA. Legislative decisions are influenced by public opinion, social movements, and political opportunity structure (King & Soule, 2006). Given that Congress passed ERA and pushed it to the 50 US states for ratification, a few factors ought to have been looked into to ensure that at least the required 38 states ratified it to be part of the US Constiution. Among these factors is influence on public opinion, political opportunity and definitely social movements (King & Soule, 2006).

Today, a great percentage of women are as skilled as men (Soule & Olzak, 2004). They contribute greatly to economies worldwide just as their male counterparts. That they are discriminated against on the basis of sex was pervasive and was institutionalized to an extent that it was natural to many people, and appeared to be right to them (Shirley, 1970). Some people argue that enshrining ERA into the US Constitution does not change what people feel in their hearts (Shirley, 1970). While true, it should not stop changes to legislation (Shirley, 1970). Change has to start from somewhere.

There are standards applied in such areas as admissions to public universities and schools. In some instances, standards applied to women are different from those applied to their male counterparts (Brown, 1971). With ERA in the constitution, such cases would cease to exist (Shirley, 1970). Additionally, survivorship benefits will be made available for those men who have working wives, just as much as it would be to women with working husbands. This also applies in social justice as far as race and socioeconomic status is concerned (Fram, Miller-Cribbs, & Horn, 2007).

Conclusion
It is important to note that implementation of ERA benefits everyone worldwide regardless of political association, race, or sex (Laureate Education, Inc., 2013). When standards are applied equally everywhere, there is social justice (Fram, Miller-Cribbs, & Horn, 2007). All citizens are human, and therefore, ERA should be part of the US Constitution to help in the realization of the benefits it can have for everyone.