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Letters to the Editor

It’s time for the Equal Rights Amendment at last

On Dec. 6 Time magazine named the #MeToo movement or the "Silence Breakers" as the "Person of the Year," a nod to the millions of people who came forward with their stories of sexual harassment, assault and rape.
On Dec. 6 Time magazine named the #MeToo movement or the "Silence Breakers" as the "Person of the Year," a nod to the millions of people who came forward with their stories of sexual harassment, assault and rape. Time Magazine TNS

The #MeToo movement, which accuses powerful men of sexual abuse and rape, has empowered women to fight impunity and demand equal rights under the law.

Harassment in the workplace is illegal, yet these moguls routinely get away with it. Historically to the present, women have been guaranteed fewer rights than men, including lower wages.

The Equal Pay Act of 1963 did not put an end to wage disparity. In order to provide the basic legal course of action against gender discrimination, harassment, and abuse at the federal level, we need to resurrect the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution. According to the ERA Coalition, 94 percent of Americans support this amendment.

Pierre-Paul Villafafila, Fresno

This story was originally published December 23, 2017 at 6:43 AM with the headline "It’s time for the Equal Rights Amendment at last."

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