▁on ▁account ▁of ▁sex . ▁Section ▁ 2 . ▁The ▁Congress ▁shall ▁have ▁the ▁power ▁to ▁en force , ▁by ▁appropriate ▁legisl ation , ▁the ▁prov isions ▁of ▁this ▁article . ▁Section ▁ 3 . ▁This ▁am end ment ▁shall ▁take ▁effect ▁two ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁date ▁of ▁rat ification ." ▁ ▁E ff ort s ▁were ▁proven ▁successful ▁when ▁Congress ▁passed ▁the ▁am end ment ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁However , ▁simply ▁passing ▁the ▁am end ment ▁in ▁the ▁two ▁houses ▁of ▁Congress ▁did ▁not ▁mean ▁the ▁work ▁was ▁finished . ▁N OW ▁had ▁to ▁direct ▁the ▁efforts ▁of ▁getting ▁the ▁am end ment ▁rat ified ▁in ▁at ▁least ▁three - four th s ▁of ▁the ▁states ▁( 3 8 ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁ 5 0 ▁states ). ▁ ▁In ▁response ▁to ▁oppos ing ▁states ▁den ying ▁the ▁rat ification ▁of ▁the ▁am end ment , ▁N OW ▁encourag ed ▁members ▁to ▁particip ate ▁in ▁march es ▁and ▁economic ▁boy cot ts . ▁" D oz ens ▁of ▁organizations ▁supported ▁the ▁E RA ▁and ▁the ▁boy c ott , ▁including ▁the ▁League ▁of ▁Women ▁V ot ers , ▁the ▁Y W CA ▁of ▁the ▁U . S ., ▁the ▁Un itar ian ▁Universal ist ▁Association , ▁the ▁United ▁Auto ▁Work ers ▁( U AW ), ▁the ▁National ▁Education ▁Association ▁( NE A ), ▁and ▁the ▁Democratic ▁National ▁Committee ▁( D NC ). " ▁ ▁As ▁strong ▁as ▁the ▁support ▁was , ▁it ▁was ▁to ▁no ▁avail ▁to ▁the ▁opposition