In May of 2026, the Women’s Institute for Leadership and Learning (WILL) joined the National Organization for Women and the AAUW to host a special event in Seneca Falls, the birthplace of women’s rights.  Intended to bring focus to the Equal Rights Amendment, the event was part of a national tour by former Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, who created the “Million Signature” petition campaign to encourage Congressional formalization of the ERA, the 28th amendment to the US Constitution.

On May 26, Maloney arrived at the Seneca Falls Presbyterian Church, the site of Alice Paul’s famous call for the ERA in 1923.  She drove an antique car called the Golden Eagle/Golden Flyer II, a replica of the Golden Flyer which made its national tour of 11,000 miles in 1916, crossing 29 states to gather support for women’s voting rights.  Maloney’s similar tour was completed in June of 2026, although she will continue to collect signatures until November, when they will be submitted to Congress along with a nationally supported demand for recognition of the ratification of the amendment.

Maloney called the Golden Eagle/Golden Flyer a “moving symbol of unfinished business,” posing for photos in Seneca Falls with Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, portrayed by Barbara Blaisdell and Dr. Melinda Grube, respectively.  

WILL’s continued efforts to bring women’s rights issues to public consciousness make the ERA a central focus for the organization.  

“Unless you’re a cisgender male in the United States, it’s likely you’ve experienced the effects of inequality in some aspect of your life.  Perhaps you’ve even been stunned by the double standards that provide unequivocable protections for men, but unclear and legally debatable quagmires for women,” said WILL President Diana Smith.

WILL encourages every woman to seek out and sign the petition calling for immediate formalization of the 28th amendment.  Accomplishing this will once and for all lay to rest any doubt regarding the legal basis for equal status of women.  Passage of the ERA impacts nearly every aspect of a modern woman’s life.  

“Formalization of this amendment changes everything — from issues of choice regarding health to pay equity, education and public service.  No longer will these matters be fodder for shifting political whims and societal attitudes,” Smith stated.

“Laws and policies should be applied equally to all citizens of the United States.  Fear about consequences is not a valid argument for continued stalling and waffling.  Certain truths, as our Declaration of Independence states, are self-evident,” she continued.

“Gloria Steinem put it best when she explained the ERA as a simple concept: it affirms that women have the same rights as men under the Constitution,” Smith concluded.

For more information or to add your signature to the petition, visit Sign4ERA.org.