MOVIE OF THE WEEK October 24, 2025: RATIFIED
More than 100 years after it was initially introduced, the fierce fight for the Equal Rights Amendment wages on…and on…and on. The persistence and determination of the dedicated people — mostly women, naturally — who are committed to making the ERA part of the U.S. Constitution is thoroughly captured in Sabaah Folayan and Deborah Riley Draper’s documentary Ratified, which is ultimately as frustrating as it is compelling and informative.
Not long after women finally won the right to vote in the United States in 1920, feminists and suffragists turned their focus to their next big goal: enshrining in the very fabric of this country founded by wealthy White land-owning men the idea that “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” The ERA was introduced in every session of Congress from then on, but it wasn’t until the early 1970s that Congress actually voted to adopt the resolution proposing the amendment, which then went to individual state legislatures for ratification. Within a year of its official introduction in 1972, the ERA had passed in a majority of states — but not the necessary three-fourths.
Ratified offers plenty of history on the ERA’s origins and early-’70s momentum, but a large part of the film is dedicated to the incredible effort put in since then to secure ratification by the final three states needed to hit the “magic number” of 38. Despite being stymied by everything from the arbitrary imposition of a seven-year deadline when Congress initially passed the amendment resolution to attacks by outspoken anti-feminist Phyllis Schlafly and her proto-tradwife minions, the legislators and champions behind the ERA have never given up. Folayan and Draper introduce viewers to many of them, including tireless advocate Kati Horning, the executive director of Vote Equality; rising Virginia Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan; longtime ERA activist Eileen Davis; and more.
Using historical footage, clips from movies and TV shows, and thoughtful interviews with a range of experts, Folayan and Draper make it clear that the ERA isn’t just a nice idea, it’s an imperative in a world and a country that still finds ways every day to make women feel less-than. It demands action, intersectionality, collaboration, and focus. And now, more than perhaps ever before, supporting it is absolutely crucial. — Betsy Bozdech
Team #MOTW’s comments:
Loren King Kudos to directors Deborah Riley Draper and Sabaah Folayan for bringing, with vitality and a razor sharp perspective, 100 years of history up to the present and making it fascinating, relevant and, yes, infuriating. Ratified succinctly traces the the birth of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in 1924 through gains and losses, always with a focus on the pivotal but, unsurprisingly, neglected role unfailingly played by women of color. Read full review.
Nell Minow: Even though I have lived in Virginia for my whole adult life, I learned a lot about the people, the process, and the issues that went into our becoming the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, especially timely as in just a few weeks we will elect our first woman governor (both candidates are women). This is an exceptionally well-researched, well edited documentary that speaks to overall challenges to democracy as well as the issue of equal rights for women.
Sherin Nicole Ratified is a rallying cry, tracing the Equal Rights Amendment’s century-long odyssey with the urgency of a movement that can only be slowed, never stopped. Centering the spirit of intersectional equality behind the ERA, the doc unspools archival footage and continued activism into a collage; as much about the whys, what went wrong, and the preceding work as it is about progress and gains. Ratified reminds us that historic movements are written longhand: lived in, fought for, and—if hope holds action—finally ratified.
Leslie Combemale People all over the country are aware that the rights of and the visibility of women, especially women of color, are being rolled back by the current administration. That makes the documentary Ratified all the more urgent and essential viewing. For anyone who wasn’t closely following what happened when supporters of the ERA in Virginia worked to have the state become the last to ratify it into the constitution, Ratified plays like quite the cliffhanger. Even those who DO know all about the history of equal rights for women will learn a lot. I particularly loved how the film centered on the importance of women of color in the fight, including director of ERA Project Ting Ting Cheng, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, Virginia Senator Jennifer Carroll Foy, and Founder of Center for Common Ground Andrea Miller. They are activists working tirelessly to get the ERA passed. On another note, I love that this film is being shown on PBS, given this administration’s attack on public television. This is American history. Watch it and learn.
Jennifer Merin Ratified is a most compelling documentary by Sabaah Folayan and Deborah R Draper. As the title telegraphs, the film is about the ongoing campaign to make the Equal Rights Amendment part of the U.S. Constitution. The efforts to have women constitutionally recognized as equal human beings with equal rights has been thwarted for decades. Even if you think you know the full story, this documentary brings forth a very convincing and well structured arguement that will spur activism. And, the film’s release is particularly timely. When, in the quest for equal rights, the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsberg was challenged by a judge who pointed out that the word ‘woman’ doesn’t appear even once in the U.S. Consstitution, the great Ginsberg famously replied, “Neither does the word ‘freedom.'” Right on, Ladies!!! Viewing this important documentry is a must.
Cate Marquis American women fought for and won the right to vote in this country in 1920, yet the battle for equal rights under the law still goes on. Why that is, and the still on-going fight for the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution, is the subject of the fascinating documentary Ratified. Filled with surprising information you likely didn’t know, filmmakers Sabaah Folayan and Deborah R Draper cover the history of the ERA and the country’s weird slow-walk towards it becoming part of the Constitution. A constitutional amendment to give women equal rights with men, including equal pay for equal work, was first proposed back in 1924 by the suffragettes who fought for women’s right to vote, one of the many surprising facts revealed in this well-made, compelling documentary. Despite finally passing Congress in the 1970s and a flurry of states ratifying it, ratification of the ERA slowed to a crawl before reaching the required ratification by three-fourths of states rewuired for it to become part of the Constitution. Ratified covers the history the ERA, why a Constitutional Amendment is still needed, and puts a special focus on the push to get that last state to ratify so as to meet the required three-fourths of states needed. And it explores the puzzling, maddening question: so why is it still not added to the Constitution? This is a must-see for anyone who believes “all people are created equal.”
FILM DETAILS:
Title: Ratified
Directors: Sabaah Folayan and Deborah R Draper
Release Date: October 20, 2023 (streaming)
Running Time: 85 minutes
Language: English
Screenwriters: Sabaah Folayan and Deborah R Draper
Lead Performers: Andrea Miller, Deborah R Draper, Eileen Davis, Jennifer Carroll Foy, Jennifer McClellan, Kati Horning, phyllis schlafly, Ting Ting Chen
Distribution Company: PBS
AWFJ Movie of the Week Panel Members: Sandie Angulo Chen, Betsy Bozdech, Leslie Combemale, Pam Grady, Loren King, Cate Marquis, Jennifer Merin, Nell Minow, Sherin Nicole, Liz Whittemore
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Edited by Jennifer Merin
