Feminist Movements

Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique, 1963 Inspired white, middle class, suburban housewives Friedan’s solution to “The Problem with No Name” = Education & Employment Used Surveys of women high school – 40s

I. Causes of 1960s Feminist Movement Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique, 1963 Equal Pay Act of 1963 = First Federal Law to prevent Sex Discrimination in Hiring & Promotion Civil Rights Era & Anti-Vietnam War Protests Large Population of Educated Women The Sexual Revolution

The Sexual Revolution 1960s = New Emphasis on casual dating, self-fulfillment, & open talk about sex in society Rise in pre-marital sex, couples living together out of wedlock 1960 = F.D.A. approves the first Birth Control Pill Religious groups issued statements against The Pill

(NOW) National Organization for Women Formed by 28 women in 1966 Members were professional, politicized women, unhappy former housewives 1967 = 1,000 members vs. 1971 = 15,000 members Betty Friedan was first president The major organization for women in the 1960s feminist movement

Consciousness Raising Recruitment Tactic of younger feminists Transformed a woman’s perception of herself and society Sought to make “private” issues public: rape, domestic abuse, child abuse, anti-pornography

Roe v. Wade (1973) Supreme Court upheld a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion 1972 = Over 2,500 illegal abortions per day Maternal deaths from abortions decline

Pervasiveness of Sexism Sexism exists at all levels of society: in Family, Law, economy, religion, media Ending sexism meant changing attitudes as well as laws Feminist groups debated HOW to end oppression of women

II. Black Feminism Moderate = Betty Friedan, fans of Feminist Mystique, NOW members Black Women, Chicanas, Working Class women left out of 1960s feminist movement

Believed racism & sexism needed to be eradicated together 1970s = Major Black Feminist movement begins with women left out of Civil Rights Movement and Black Panthers Believed racism & sexism needed to be eradicated together Combahee River Collective

III. (ERA) Equal Rights Amendment 1st Proposed in 1923 by suffragist Alice Paul & the National Women’s Party Constitutional Amendment would have guaranteed equal rights for women and men

Passed by Congress in 1972 Expired in 1982 with only 35 out of 38 states needed to approve Opponents feared it would eliminated women’s protection laws based upon inequality of women

Title 9 Step to bring equity to women’s sports on July 1, 1972 “Intense forms of physical and psychic conflict…tend to destroy girls’ physical and psychic charm and adaptability for motherhood” --“Olympics for Girls?” 1929 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Althea Gibson Billie Jean King