Chapter 26 Section 2

The Feminist Movement

A Weakened Women’s Movement• Feminism- The belief that Men

and Women are politically, economically, and socially equal.

• Women were given the opportunity to go into the work place during WWII when Men enlisted into the army.

• When the war was over women were expected to return to their domestic duties.

• By the 1960’s women were slowly reentering the workforce.

The Women’s Movement Reawakens

• By the early 1960’s women made up 40% of the labor market.

• Women were only hired for lower paying jobs like sales attendants, factor and hospital workers, or cleaning ladies.

• The President’s Commission on the Status of Women- Created by JFK to highlight the problems of women in the work place and to create networks for feminist activists.

• The Equal Pay Act- passed in 1963 which outlawed the unequal pay of men and women.

• Title VII- included in the 1964 Civil Rights Act that outlawed job discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin and gender.

The Feminist Mystique• Best selling book written

by Betty Friedan describing the unfulfilled feeling many women have in their lives as wives and mothers.

• Many women starting reaching out to each other to share their feelings.

NOW• The National Organization for

Women- created in 1966 by Betty Friedan.

• NOW’s main goal was to create better educational opportunities for women and aid to women in the workplace.

• The efforts to pass the Equal Rights Amendment pushed NOW’s membership to over 200,000.

Equality in Education • The members of NOW pushed

for Congress to create federal legislation banning gender discrimination in education.

• In 1972 Congress passed a collective group of laws called the Educational Amendments.

• Title IX – prohibited federally funded schools from discriminating against girls in nearly all aspects of education.

Roe v. Wade• Before the 1800’s some case of

abortion were allowed but by the 1960’s abortions were made illegal unless it would have saved the mother’s life.

• In 1973 the Supreme Court case of Roe v. Wade ruled that state governments could not regulate abortion with in the first three months of a women’s pregnancy. During the second trimester an adoration can only be obtained on the basis of maintaining the health of the mother.

• This decision created the “right –to-life” movement whose members believe that all abortion is morally wrong.

The Equal Rights Amendment• 1972 congressional movement

to give women equal rights. • Ended up failing to be passed

by 1982 because many fears that alimony, single gendered colleges, and women being drafted into the army would accompany equal rights.

• Biggest opponent was Phyllis Schlafly.

The Impact of the Women’s Movement

• More women are going to colleges and getting jobs outside of the domestic setting.

• Employers have started offering more family friendly benefits including flexible hours, on site child care and maternity leave.

• Women still make less money then their male co-workers.