The proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution passed the Senate and was sent to the states for ratification in 1972. From 1972 to 1978, 35 states ratified the ERA, but 15 states did not ratify the ERA.
Feminists led the fight for equality as dozens of religious, social and political organizations worked to ratify the amendment throughout the 1970s. To become part of the Constitution, the amendment needed to be ratified by 38 out of 50 states (three-fourths of the states). The ERA ultimately fell three states short at the time of the ratification deadline. Feminist organizations continue to work for a Constitutional guarantee of equality, and there is a legal argument that the 35 ratifications from the 1970s are still valid.
Which 15 states did not ratify the ERA? Here is a list of the 15 states that have not ratified:
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Louisiana
Mississippi
Missouri
Nevada
North Carolina
Oklahoma
South Carolina
Utah
Virginia