U.S. Freedom, But Not for Women
Why the Constitution Doesn’t Protect Women, and What That Means for Your Rights
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Every Fourth of July, we celebrate “freedom.”
But few pause to ask: Freedom for who?
The truth is brutal: Men’s rights are written into the Constitution. Women’s rights are not.
And that’s not just a symbolic omission. It’s a legal vulnerability that affects every corner of life—from healthcare and privacy to equality and safety.
Why This Matters:
In 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. That decision didn’t technically violate the Constitution.
It followed it.
Because the Constitution never promised women bodily autonomy or any rights at all.
From the Beginning, the Law Was Male
Let’s get something straight:
The founding documents were never meant to protect women.
The Declaration of Independence says “all men are created equal.” That wasn't poetic phrasing. It was literal.
Women couldn’t vote.
Couldn’t own property in many states.
Had no say in the laws that governed them.
The Constitution continued this pattern. It codified protections for men, particularly white landowning ones, while leaving women’s rights up to interpretation, implication, or later legislation.
Why the Supreme Court Can Roll Back Women’s Rights
Because women’s rights aren’t explicitly written into the Constitution, courts can, and do, treat them as optional.
Roe v. Wade was based on an interpretation of the right to privacy, not an explicit guarantee of equality.
So when a more conservative Court came along, they simply reinterpreted that right. And just like that, millions of women lost basic bodily autonomy.
This is the danger of invisible rights: they disappear easily.
What About the Equal Rights Amendment?
Great question. Here’s the breakdown:
What is the ERA?
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed amendment to the Constitution that reads:
“Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”
Simple. Powerful. Long overdue.
Here’s the Timeline:
1923 – Proposed by suffragist Alice Paul
1972 – Passed by Congress, sent to the states
1972–1982 – Needed 38 states to ratify. Only 35 did by the deadline
2017–2020 – Nevada, Illinois, and Virginia finally ratified. Total: 38
So… done, right? Not quite.
Why Isn’t It Law?
Two major obstacles:
The Deadline
Congress imposed a 7-year deadline (later extended to 10).
Opponents argue those late ratifications don’t count.
State Rescissions
Five states tried to “un-ratify” after initially voting yes.
Legal scholars disagree on whether that’s allowed.
So even with 38 states on paper, the ERA is still not part of the Constitution.
And until it is, women have no explicit constitutional guarantee of equal rights.
The Real-World Impact
This isn't just a legal technicality. It plays out in real life:
The Supreme Court can erase rights—because those rights weren’t written.
Lawmakers can pass restrictions on healthcare, contraception, even voting—and frame them as “constitutional.”
Women must constantly re-defend the same rights men never had to ask for.
This Fourth of July, Ask the Hard Question:
What are we celebrating?
If women’s rights are still negotiable…
If the Constitution still doesn’t recognize half the country…
If freedom can be taken away with the stroke of a pen…
Then maybe it’s time to stop waving the flag and start fixing the foundation.
This space is for all of us who were handed fear and called it faith. Who were taught to sacrifice ourselves for the comfort of others. Who are finally learning to take it all back.
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