New York, NY, October 17, 2024 — Acclaimed actor, comedian, and director Ben Stiller took to the stage with daughter Ella at Equality Now’s 2024 ‘Make Equality Reality’ gala. The pair were toasting legendary activist Gloria Steinem for her lifelong contribution to advancing women’s rights. Taking a comedic approach, the father-daughter duo used the opportunity to voice their support for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would ensure equal rights by explicitly banning discrimination based on sex or gender.
“Not to mansplain at you in public, Ella, but they’ve been fighting for the ERA for a long time. Back when my parents were doing it, I was a kid, and we went to rallies for the ERA and I think it actually did pass. It happened. We won,” Ben said, raising his fist in triumph.
Quick to correct him, 22-year-old Ella explained, “No, no, actually, we didn’t. That’s kinda like the whole thing. That’s why we’re here right now. And here is why we need to get this done.
“The ERA will establish gender equality in the Constitution. It will make sex and gender-based discrimination unconstitutional. It will make the gender pay gap unconstitutional. Restrictions on women’s healthcare – unconstitutional. You know, if the ERA were in the Constitution, it could have actually protected our reproductive rights,” said Ella, receiving applause from the audience.
Ben responded, “Seriously, the ERA still isn’t in the Constitution? Wow, this is, like, blowing my mind,” echoing the incorrect assumption shared by 73% of Americans who mistakenly think gender equality is already a constitutional right in the United States.
The ERA would protect women’s rights
Ella highlighted a shocking truth about the U.S – “85% of the countries in the United Nations have constitutions that prohibit discrimination based on sex or gender, just not ours.”
Discrimination against women remains widespread across the States, where laws relating to women’s fundamental human rights remain vulnerable to amendment and repeal.
By adding an explicit prohibition on sex-based discrimination at the highest level, enshrining the ERA would mean women no longer have to rely on a complex and inconsistent patchwork of state and federal laws to assert their rights, and laws could face heightened scrutiny as they would be subjected to constitutional standards of equality.
Equality Now has been working to advance the ERA, including publishing a range of resources that explain how the ERA could help provide greater protections in various areas, including economic and reproductive rights and against child marriage and gender-based violence.
A submission to the United Nations by Equality Now and its partners identified various human rights violations impacting women and girls in the U.S., and the UN responded by urging the U.S. government to address these concerns, including by adopting the ERA.
Ella rounded up by telling the audience, “We are so honored tonight to support Equality Now. They are working tirelessly to get the ERA into the Constitution,” to which Ben humorously replied, “And let’s make that happen so that Gloria doesn’t have to spend another 90 years fighting for what’s right.”