Lilitha Sali (History Paper One)
CONTEXT
o The women's movement of the 1960s in the United States, also known as the Women's
Liberation Movement or Second-Wave Feminism, was a significant social and political
movement that sought to address gender inequality and expand women's rights. (intro
piece)
o Ignited by the first wave of feminism who focused on “vote for women” which notably
influenced major western powers to extended voting rights to women in the interwar
period of 1920.
o Additionally, during World War two the role for women had changed as men went off to
fight in the roles leaving vacant employments posts that were then fulfilled by women.
This signified the first women were seen as role players and able to take over the male
dominated workforce.
o The post- war era in the USA was characterized by economic growth and expansion of
middle-class suburbia with trend to re-establish pre-war social values. (Traditional
values of women at home taking care of the children.) To revert to these pre-war social
values gender stereotypes became more common in the media to persuade women
back into their homes with slogans such as “father knows best” (submissiveness/
homemakers)
o Furthermore, women were marginalized in the 1950s by strict lack of rights, payment to
property taxes without control over laws, married women had no property, legal
domination of males even in events of rape and divorce and child custody in favor of
men, most occupations were closed to women and only jobs accessible were teaching,
secretary or waitressing positions.
o In the time, civil rights, students and hippies’ movement allowed for challenge as their
movements enforced a change in mindset in the American people with made way for
the women’s movement to integrate its aims and express their grievances.
AIMS
o Focused on working within existing structures to win legal equality and rights for
women: equal political, social and economic rights and opportunities for men and
women.
o No gender discrimination in the workplace, right to maternity leave, equal and
unsegregated education, birth control and right to their own bodies.
CREATION OF NOW ( NATIONAL ORGANISTATION FOR WOMEN)
o A Group of feminists including Betty Friedan decided to find an organization, whose
mandate was to fight gender discrimination through courts and legislatures.
o NOW acted as the spreadhead for the women’s movement.
o Now encouraged women to strive for a better of through legal means, the courts.
o They used egal letters, deputations and court cases such as the roe vs. wade,
petitions and peaceful marches to voice their protests.
, WOMENS LIBERATION MOVEMENT ( RADICAL )
The more radical “women’s liberation movement” was determined to completely
overthrow the patriarchy that they believed was oppressing every component of
women’s lives: including their private lives. They popularized the idea that “the personal
is political” that women’s political inequality had equally important personal
ramifications encompassing their relationships, sexuality, birth control and abortion.
- Aimed to end women’s oppression in a boarder sense, attacking what they referred to
as “patriarchy” or a male dominated society.
- Targeted violence/ oppressions against women (equal education, legal and financial
indolence, leveling the playing field in the workforce and oppose society’s idea of the
idea of feminine beaty.
- Books were published such as sisterhood is powerful by robin morgan alongside the Ms.
magazine founded by G. Steinem
- Major protest around the world which influenced the equal pay act in the seventies for
women in England.
- Organized awareness groups and held public protests, marches and sit-ins to draw
attention to issues such as the “Miss World Beauty Contest”
EVENTS
1962 : Betty Friedan “The feminist Mystique “
- Betty Freidan, writer, feminist and women’s rights activist published the “feminine
mystique”: which explored the idea of women finding fulfilment beyond traditional lives
- This is often remembered as the beginning of the second wave of feminism in the United
States. The success of the publication gained mass public attention.
- The publication reached millions of women who discovered that they were not alone in
their dissatisfaction with domestic roles and duties and incited the notion of women
receiving and doing more.
- This shows the reduction of isolation women felt and in turn suggested comfort →with
the ideologies spoke within the publication reaching an immense number of women →
allowing them to express their grievances with more confidence → under the common
understanding that they were not alone and had many supporting their shared
experiences.
1963 : Equal Pay Act + 1964 Equal Opportunity Act
- Educated women who had been exposed to the work force during WW2, wanted more
for themselves and their daughters as they had experience more than the traditional
“cookie cutter lifestyle”
- Additionally living costs were increasing and to live a comfortable middle-class lifestyle
now meant that having two incomes becomes critical to remain economically free.
- Equality in the Workplace: Women advocated for equal pay, opportunities, and an end
to gender discrimination in employment.
CONTEXT
o The women's movement of the 1960s in the United States, also known as the Women's
Liberation Movement or Second-Wave Feminism, was a significant social and political
movement that sought to address gender inequality and expand women's rights. (intro
piece)
o Ignited by the first wave of feminism who focused on “vote for women” which notably
influenced major western powers to extended voting rights to women in the interwar
period of 1920.
o Additionally, during World War two the role for women had changed as men went off to
fight in the roles leaving vacant employments posts that were then fulfilled by women.
This signified the first women were seen as role players and able to take over the male
dominated workforce.
o The post- war era in the USA was characterized by economic growth and expansion of
middle-class suburbia with trend to re-establish pre-war social values. (Traditional
values of women at home taking care of the children.) To revert to these pre-war social
values gender stereotypes became more common in the media to persuade women
back into their homes with slogans such as “father knows best” (submissiveness/
homemakers)
o Furthermore, women were marginalized in the 1950s by strict lack of rights, payment to
property taxes without control over laws, married women had no property, legal
domination of males even in events of rape and divorce and child custody in favor of
men, most occupations were closed to women and only jobs accessible were teaching,
secretary or waitressing positions.
o In the time, civil rights, students and hippies’ movement allowed for challenge as their
movements enforced a change in mindset in the American people with made way for
the women’s movement to integrate its aims and express their grievances.
AIMS
o Focused on working within existing structures to win legal equality and rights for
women: equal political, social and economic rights and opportunities for men and
women.
o No gender discrimination in the workplace, right to maternity leave, equal and
unsegregated education, birth control and right to their own bodies.
CREATION OF NOW ( NATIONAL ORGANISTATION FOR WOMEN)
o A Group of feminists including Betty Friedan decided to find an organization, whose
mandate was to fight gender discrimination through courts and legislatures.
o NOW acted as the spreadhead for the women’s movement.
o Now encouraged women to strive for a better of through legal means, the courts.
o They used egal letters, deputations and court cases such as the roe vs. wade,
petitions and peaceful marches to voice their protests.
, WOMENS LIBERATION MOVEMENT ( RADICAL )
The more radical “women’s liberation movement” was determined to completely
overthrow the patriarchy that they believed was oppressing every component of
women’s lives: including their private lives. They popularized the idea that “the personal
is political” that women’s political inequality had equally important personal
ramifications encompassing their relationships, sexuality, birth control and abortion.
- Aimed to end women’s oppression in a boarder sense, attacking what they referred to
as “patriarchy” or a male dominated society.
- Targeted violence/ oppressions against women (equal education, legal and financial
indolence, leveling the playing field in the workforce and oppose society’s idea of the
idea of feminine beaty.
- Books were published such as sisterhood is powerful by robin morgan alongside the Ms.
magazine founded by G. Steinem
- Major protest around the world which influenced the equal pay act in the seventies for
women in England.
- Organized awareness groups and held public protests, marches and sit-ins to draw
attention to issues such as the “Miss World Beauty Contest”
EVENTS
1962 : Betty Friedan “The feminist Mystique “
- Betty Freidan, writer, feminist and women’s rights activist published the “feminine
mystique”: which explored the idea of women finding fulfilment beyond traditional lives
- This is often remembered as the beginning of the second wave of feminism in the United
States. The success of the publication gained mass public attention.
- The publication reached millions of women who discovered that they were not alone in
their dissatisfaction with domestic roles and duties and incited the notion of women
receiving and doing more.
- This shows the reduction of isolation women felt and in turn suggested comfort →with
the ideologies spoke within the publication reaching an immense number of women →
allowing them to express their grievances with more confidence → under the common
understanding that they were not alone and had many supporting their shared
experiences.
1963 : Equal Pay Act + 1964 Equal Opportunity Act
- Educated women who had been exposed to the work force during WW2, wanted more
for themselves and their daughters as they had experience more than the traditional
“cookie cutter lifestyle”
- Additionally living costs were increasing and to live a comfortable middle-class lifestyle
now meant that having two incomes becomes critical to remain economically free.
- Equality in the Workplace: Women advocated for equal pay, opportunities, and an end
to gender discrimination in employment.
