In America, the Equal Rights Amendment -- an amendment from 1972 that states people "shall not be denied or abridged" equal rights on account of their sex -- is very, very close to being passed. 37 out of the 38 required states have ratified it.
In the segment above from Sunday's Last Week Tonight Episode, John Oliver breaks down exactly what that means -- and explains why the ERA is so important.
"None of this is that complicated," says Oliver. "Equality for women should be a basic principle of our society -- and if you think it already is, great! All the more reason to write it down."
"And if you think it isn't, then we badly need the ERA."
Oliver concludes by saying the ERA being passed won't fix everything -- it doesn't cover the private sector, for instance, so the pay gap wouldn't be included.
But, as he points out, it could still "be a safeguard against things sliding further backwards."
Topics John Oliver Last Week Tonight
