1. 18-2 Notes
The Feminist Movement

2. A Renewed Women’s Movement
Birth of Feminism 
The feminist movement came to be in the mid-1960s at the same time that political activism and the counterculture arose. It reflected the dissatisfaction many women felt with their second-class status in U.S. society, especially in the workplace.
Equality at Work 
By the mid 1960s, almost half of American women worked outside their homes and most often were paid less than men who held equal positions. Women also found closed doors in high-paying fields such as finance, law, and medicine.

3. A Renewed Women’s Movement
Government Actions 
Women were both encouraged and disappointed in the actions of the federal government during the 1960s. On one hand, the federal government took the side of women in 1964, with the passage of the Civil Rights Act, which outlawed job discrimination based on gender. On the other hand, in 1965, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ruled in favor of having gender-segregated classified ads—a clear step away from progress.

4. Women’s Rights Legislation
Equal Pay Act 
The passage of the Equal Pay Act in 1963 addressed equity in pay but did not take on the so-called “glass ceiling” of equal opportunity.
Education 
A law titled The Educational Amendments was passed by Congress in Title IX, one section of this amendment, banned discrimination against women in federally funded schools. This was the law that established equal opportunity in women’s athletics, one of the successes of the feminist movement.

5. Women’s Rights Legislation
Right to Privacy and Abortion 
In 1965 the Supreme Court outlawed state bans on contraceptives for married couples. After this ruling, feminists began arguing against laws banning abortion. In 1973 the Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that state governments could not regulate abortion during the first three months of pregnancy. In 1992 Roe v. Wade was modified, saying that states could place certain restrictions on abortions.

6. Legacy of the Women’s Movement
Education 
Between 1970 and 2005, the balance between men and women in college shifted. Women now make up the majority—54 percent—of young adults enrolled in college. More women than men occupy professions such as doctors, lawyers, and college professors. Women comprise about 58 percent of young adults, age 25–29, who hold an advanced degree. Among adults in the same demographic, more women than men had high school diplomas and bachelor’s degrees.
Employment 
In 2010 working women outnumbered working men for the first time. However, women average fewer work hours than men. They generally hold more part-time jobs, and they earn 77 cents for every dollar a man makes.

7. Legacy of the Women’s Movement
Sports 
The enactment of Title IX has led to a large increase in opportunities for girls and women in sports. Since 1972 athletic participation among young women has increased by 904 percent in high school and 456 percent in college.