Ratified

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was introduced as a U.S. constitutional amendment in 1924, an era when women had few legal rights and were often considered subordinate to their husbands. It was not passed out of Congress. In spite of broad support and a massive campaign in the 1970s, legal equality for all genders has still not been officially added to the Constitution. Despite some strides, disparities remain in pay, healthcare, and legal protections. The ERA would embed protection from gender-based discrimination and enshrine bodily autonomy in the Constitution.

Ratified chronicles the campaign to make Virginia the 38th state to ratify the amendment, which is the number of states required to have an amendment added to the Constitution after Congressional approval. This political battle reveals racial and economic divisions, along with the ways women’s rights have been used as political leverage. Black women have often been overlooked in legal discussions since the creation of the Constitution, yet efforts led by Black women beginning in 2017 helped reignite momentum for the ERA’s passage after the fight stalled in the early 1980s. With the support of a multi-racial, multi-generational collective of activists, an intersectional movement for gender equality emerged.

The film follows organizing efforts as a cross-party coalition confronts entrenched political power. Virginia Senator Jennifer McClellan and Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy push through legislative barriers, along with a grassroots team led by Republican-turned-organizer Kati Hornung. Their efforts mark the continuum of a 101-year fight. Ratified is a look at the perseverance of organizers and the legal system's resistance to fully guaranteeing gender equality.