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Do not fill this in! ====Women's rights==== As with racial equality, Iowa was a vanguard in women's rights in the mid-19th century, but did not allow women the right to vote until the [[Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution]] was ratified in 1920, Iowa legislature being one of the ratifying votes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/iowa-and-the-19th-amendment.htm|title=Iowa and the 19th Amendment (U.S. National Park Service)|website=Nps.gov|access-date=January 21, 2020|archive-date=July 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704043145/https://www.nps.gov/articles/iowa-and-the-19th-amendment.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1847, the [[University of Iowa]] became the first public university in the U.S. to admit men and women on an equal basis.<ref>About Iowa, [http://www.uiowa.edu/homepage/about-UI/index.html Uiowa.edu] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121119042543/http://www.uiowa.edu/homepage/about-UI/index.html |date=November 19, 2012 }}</ref> In 1869, Iowa became the first state in the union to admit women to the practice of law, with the Court ruling women may not be denied the right to practice law in Iowa and admitting [[Arabella A. Mansfield]] to the practice of law.<ref name="civil rights" /> Several attempts to grant full voting rights to Iowa women were defeated between 1870 and 1919. In 1894 women were given "partial suffrage", which allowed them to vote on issues, but not for candidates. It was not until the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment that women had full suffrage in Iowa.<ref>The Fight for Women's Suffrage, [http://www.iptv.org/iowapathways/myPath.cfm?ounid=ob_000320 IPTV.org] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100615233319/http://iptv.org/iowapathways/mypath.cfm?ounid=ob_000320 |date=June 15, 2010 }}</ref> Although Iowa supported the Federal [[Equal Rights Amendment]], in 1980 and 1992 Iowa voters rejected an Equal Rights Amendment to the state constitution.<ref>How Did Iowa Coalitions Campaign for the Equal Rights Amendment in 1980 and 1992?, [http://womhist.alexanderstreet.com/iowaera/intro.htm alexanderstreet.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090918125012/http://womhist.alexanderstreet.com/iowaera/intro.htm |date=September 18, 2009 }}</ref> Iowa added the word "women" to the Iowa Constitution in 1998. After the amendment, it reads: "All men and women are, by nature, free and equal, and have certain inalienable rights—among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty, acquiring, possessing and protecting property, and pursuing and obtaining safety and happiness."<ref>[http://search.legis.state.ia.us/NXT/gateway.dll/ic/1/2/11?f=templates$fn=document-frame.htm).0$q=$uq=1$x=$up=1 1857 CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF IOWA—CODIFIED] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209200037/http://search.legis.state.ia.us/NXT/gateway.dll/ic/1/2/11?f=templates$fn=document-frame.htm).0$q=$uq=1$x=$up=1 |date=February 9, 2014 }}. Search.legis.state.ia.us (July 4, 1973). Retrieved on July 12, 2013.</ref> In May 2018 Iowa signed into law one of the country's most restrictive abortion bans: the requirement that a doctor cannot perform an abortion if they can detect a fetal heartbeat, which in many cases would restrict abortions pregnancies less than six weeks old.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2018/05/04/abortion-ban-law-iowa-fetal-heartbeat/577443002/|title=The nation's strictest abortion ban is now law. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signs 'fetal heartbeat' bill|last1=Pfannenstiel|first1=Brianne|last2=Petroski|first2=William|website=Des Moines Register|access-date=January 21, 2020}}</ref> It was struck down in January 2019, when an Iowa state judge ruled that the "fetal heartbeat" law was unconstitutional.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/23/us/iowa-fetal-heartbeat-abortion-unconstitutional/index.html|title=Iowa's 'fetal heartbeat' abortion restriction declared unconstitutional|first1=Eric|last1=Levenson|first2=Marlena|last2=Baldacci|website=CNN|date=January 23, 2019|access-date=January 23, 2019|archive-date=January 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123170538/https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/23/us/iowa-fetal-heartbeat-abortion-unconstitutional/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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