If Illinois had passed the Equal Rights Amendment nearly 40 years ago when lawmakers got their first chance, the state could have been a leader in carving a path for progressive reforms that would have improved conditions for women. Employers would have had to provide equal pay for equal work, and women would have been on equal footing with men in terms of marital rights, property ownership and the justice system.

Women across the nation can only hope that the state's belated passage of the amendment last week will be meaningful. It was doomed decades ago by a saucy and relentless campaign mounted by the late conservative icon, Phyllis Schlafly of Alton. Supporters had pinned their hopes on Illinois when only three states were needed to get the necessary 38 to ratify it by a 1982 deadline, but opponents held sway.

Move forward 36 years, and Illinois became the 37th state to ratify the ERA. While it appears that means only one more state's approval is needed to add the amendment to the U.S. Constitution, a legal showdown is expected over whether the amendment remains viable because of the deadline.

The modern-day push for the amendment's ratification is attributed to the 2016 defeat of the first woman nominated for president by a major party, and the election of a man who routinely disrespects women. Hundreds of thousands of women marched in Washington and in cities around the world to protest Donald Trump's election the day after he was inaugurated.

Another factor is the #MeToo movement, which has united women in a show of strength against sexual assault and misconduct. While powerful and influential male perpetrators captured headlines, ordinary women joined the movement talking about their experiences of harassment, abuse and discrimination by non-celebrity men.

Further push came from an amendment that took more than 200 years to win congressional approval. In 1992, Michigan became the 38th state to ratify the 27th Amendment — forbidding congressional salary increases to take effect until the term after they are approved — offered by James Madison in 1791.

That got ERA supporters wondering why their amendment had a deadline and whether that was legal. Last year, Nevada became the 36th state and the first state in 40 years to ratify the amendment.

In the intervening years, 37 states have added versions of the ERA to their state constitutions. Missouri has not. Supporters say that a federal protection would be broader and more inclusive and would also be an important symbol acknowledging that the nation values women.

While conditions for women are better than they were in the 1970s, problems and inequality remain. Legislation that gives women equal rights can be changed and repealed. The principle that would enshrine gender equality belongs in the Constitution.

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