Women & Language Volume 42.1, Spring 2019 doi: 10.34036/WL.2019.003 All the Working Woman’s Friends: Protective Labor Legislation and the Early ERA Controversy Kerith Woodyard Northern Illinois University Kathryn Cady Northern Illinois University Abstract: ,QWURGXFHG LQWR HYHU\ VHVVLRQ RI &RQJUHVV IURP  WR  WKH (TXDO 5LJKWV $PHQGPHQW (5$ PHW VWHDG\ RUJDQL]HG UHVLVWDQFH RQ LWV XOWLPDWHO\ IDLOHG SROLWLFDO MRXUQH\ WKDW HQGHG LQ  MXVW WKUHH VWDWHV VK\ RI UDWLﾀFDWLRQ )RU PDQ\ IHPDOH VWDNHKROGHUV LQ WKH SURWUDFWHG (5$FRQWURYHUV\ VXSSRUW RU RSSRVLWLRQ IRU WKH DPHQGPHQW KLQJHG ODUJHO\ RQ WKH DQWLFLSDWHG HIIHFW WKH DPHQGPHQW ZRXOG KDYH RQ H[LVWLQJ ODERU SURWHFWLRQV IRU ZRPHQ 7KLV HVVD\ H[SOLFDWHV UKHWRULFDO VKLIWV DQG FRQWLQXLWLHV ZLWKLQ WKH (5$ FRQWURYHUV\ VWHPPLQJ IURP LWV VWRULHG UHODWLRQVKLS WR GHEDWHV RYHU SURWHFWLYH OHJLVODWLRQ $Q DQDO\VLV RI WKH SUR(5$ 1DWLRQDO :RPDQｷV 3DUW\ｷV ZHHNO\ QHZVSDSHU Equal Right s DQG WKH DQWL(5$:RPHQｷV 7UDGH 8QLRQ /HDJXHｷV QHZVOHWWHU Lif e and Labor Bulletin WUDFHV WKHVH SURPLQHQW VWDNHKROGHUVｷ DFWLYH EDWWOH RYHU ZKDW FRQVWLWXWHG ｴSURWHFWLRQｵ DQG ｴHTXDO ULJKWVｵ 7KXV WKLV HVVD\ FRPSOLFDWHV WKH UKHWRULFDO KLVWRU\ RI WKH (5$ LOOXPLQDWLQJ KRZ FRQVWLWXHQFLHV RQ DOO VLGHV RI WKH GHEDWH FODLPHG WR EHVW UHSUHVHQW WKH LQWHUHVWV RI ZRUNLQJ ZRPHQ Keywords: (TXDO 5LJKWV $PHQGPHQW SURWHFWLYH OHJLVODWLRQ ZRPHQ ODERU UKHWRULF THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT (ERA) IS ONE of only six amendments to \PM =; +WV[\Q\]\QWV \PI\ _I[ XZWXW[ML Ja +WVOZM[[ J]\ VM^MZ ZI\QﾅML Ja \PM ;\I\M[ )T\PW]OP \PM -:) _I[ ﾅZ[\ QV\ZWL]KML QV +WVOZM[[ QV 1923 and then reintroduced in each congressional session thereafter, Q\ \WWS VMIZTa ﾅN\a aMIZ[ JMNWZM Q\ _I[ ﾅVITTa []JUQ\\ML \W \PM [\I\M[ NWZ ZI\QﾅKI\QWV )N\MZ I KWV\MV\QW][ LMKILMTWVO ZI\QﾅKI\QWV XMZQWL spanning from 1972 to 1982, the amendment failed just three states [PWZ\ WN ZI\QﾅKI\QWV =V[]ZXZQ[QVOTa OQ^MV Q\[ TWVO PQ[\WZa IVL ]T\QUI\M failure, the debate over the ERA is complex and far-reaching. The NIQTML ZI\QﾅKI\QWV XMZQWL QV XIZ\QK]TIZ PI[ OIZVMZML KIZMN]T [KPWTIZTa attention by a number of feminist scholars who have illuminated UIRWZ X]JTQK IZO]UMV\[ QV \PM -:) ZI\QﾅKI\QWV LMJI\M IVL I[[M[[ML why some of these arguments were more successful than others (e.g., Foss, 1979; Kruse, 1983; Miller, 2015; Solomon, 1978, 1979, 1983). This study seeks to add productively to this rhetorical scholarship by illuminating important parts of the historical context articulating to \PM -:) ZI\QﾅKI\QWV KWV\ZW^MZ[a .WZ QV[\IVKM _PQTM .W[[ !! PI[