39 lobbying voice on Capitol Hill.54 Within a decade, the CWA moved from a fringe group of conservative women meeting for prayer to becoming a force in American politics. Consistent with its conservative fundamentalist origins, the CWA struggled to be inclusive. Though LaHaye often used Schlafly’s material and promoted the Eagle Forum’s talking points, she saw the CWA as wholly different from other conservative organizations in that Concerned Women for America was strictly evangelical.55 However, as LaHaye realized that Schlafly and other conservative organizations had the same goals and concerns, she made exceptions. After over forty years as an organization, one must wonder if Ronald Reagan was correct when he stated at the 1987 CWA Convention that Beverly LaHaye was “one of the powerhouses on the political scene today… [and] is changing the face of American politics.”56 THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT A Brief History The Equal Rights Amendment has a long, complicated history. In 1923, Alice Paul introduced the Equal Rights Amendment during the National Women’s Party convention, and Daniel Anthony brought it before Congress.57 The ERA states that the “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”58 However, warring factions within the feminist movement prevented the amendment from garnering enough support to pass. Florence Kelley, a leader in the progressive feminist movement, argued against the amendment stating, “women cannot achieve true equality with men by securing identity of treatment under the law.”59 Kelley feared the ERA hindered women from working as many hours as men, resulting in more financial disparity. Between 1923 and 1970, the ERA experienced bouts of revival followed by rejection.60 However, in 1970, following the 1964 Civil Rights Amendment, the ERA was finally resurrected. Congresswomen Martha Griffiths and Edith Green used Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, demanding equal rights for women in education and employment, to further discuss women’s rights. They also used a discharge petition, moving the stalled ERA out of the Judiciary Committee’s control.61 Once out of the Judiciary WOMEN, LEADERSHIP, AND THE POWER OF THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT
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