Question

How did conservatives introduce competing definitions of freedom into the fights for women’s rights, especially into the struggle over the Equal Rights Amendment and abortion?

Answer 1

As with all major American political parties liberty is a core value . American conservatives consider individual liberty within American values . During early history American women denied some badic rights enjoyed by male citizens. For example married women couldn’t own property and had no claim to any money they might earn ; no politics etc.

Because only women can have abortions conservatives argue restrictions on the procedure found unconstitutional under ERA. CAROLYN MALONEY is a lead sponsor of a house bill that would remove the dedline for ratifying equal rights amendment. Conservative activists waged successful campaigns against ERA decades ago which legalize same genmarriage and erode gender roles

ERA was proposed in 1923 rewritten in 1943 and adopted by congress in 1972 . Advocates for ERA acknowledge that abortion needs to be a part of conservation . Any debate over women rights they say must also address control over when and whether to have children.There are no equal rights to women without access to abortion . The US conference of catholic bishops wrote to lawmakers Thursday warning that amendment would become a powerful tool against pro-life abortion laws. And campaign launched over the weekend by students for life calls it Roe2.0 and argues ERA should stand for “ everything related to abortion “.While abortion was one of many arguments against ERA it wasn’t the center of discussion like it is today.SUK pointed US Supreme Court ruling that exclusion of pregnancy from certain benefits is not sex discrimination . Similarly he said access to abortion would be upto judges

My own view is that right to make decisions about reproductive health care including abortion is one of the way of understanding gender equality