BPW/AR                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Honorable ____________________, 

Thank-you for the work you do on behalf of all of the citizens of Arkansas. 

As a member of Arkansas Business and Professional Women (BPW), I urge you to support and co-sponsor the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.  We have BPW members in every district in Arkansas. 

The Equal Rights Amendment is needed because: 

• Ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment is the only guarantee that would prevent the reversal of the laws and legislation in place that protect women.
• Without the Equal Rights Amendment, programs that enforce civil rights protections, gender equity in education, women’s health care research and equal pay protections could be under funded, cut or eliminated entirely by Congress.
• Without a Constitutional amendment, under the law, women do not have equality to men.

Despite the tremendous gains women have made in the last 30 years, research from federal and independent sources reveal that women continue to face significant obstacles due to gender discrimination.  For example, women are still paid on average only $.76 for every dollar a man is paid, research into major women's health concerns including the causes of osteoporosis and ovarian cancer are under-funded, and women who are victims of sexual harassment in the workplace often find it difficult to seek justice. 

Today, perhaps more than ever, women need the Constitutional guarantee to equality.  I am certain that your leadership on the Equal Rights Amendment would help to ensure equality for women. 

Thank-you for your attention to this matter.