On January 17, 2025, YWCA USA CEO, Margaret Mitchell, issued the following statement in response to President Joe Biden’s affirmation of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) as the 28th Amendment:

“Today, more than a century after introduction and following decades of work to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) across states, the President of the United States, Joe Biden, has made history by recognizing that it’s long past time to enshrine equality for women in the U.S. Constitution.

YWCA USA thanks the President for recognizing the long-held will of the people and for demonstrating that, finally, the leader of our nation understands the power of constitutional recognition and protection for women’s equality that this 28th Amendment would bring – especially for the 1 million women, girls, and families that the YWCA serves across 45 states and the District of Columbia.

We also thank the President for his service over the course of decades; from ensuring the  passage of the landmark Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) more than thirty years ago to the continued work of this Administration to ensure safety from gender-based violence in the United States and across the globe, President Biden leaves office next week with a legacy that will not soon be forgotten.

But, this work is not done. To ensure we have the full force of the 28th Amendment in the United States, Dr. Colleen J. Shogan, the Archivist of the United States, must honor her duty to the Constitution and the American people by publishing the ERA.

Regardless of what happens next, YWCA will continue to serve communities across the country —supporting survivors of sexual and domestic violence, providing childcare and early learning programs; and providing transitional housing, rapid-rehousing, and long-term supportive housing to women, children, and families—and championing  policies that advance women’s equality, including access to abortion, preventing discrimination and harassment in the workplace, and other policies that support women’s financial empowerment and ability to remain in the workforce.