4.3 The Women's movement Flashcards
Impact of WWII on Women
Employment of women rose by 6.5M by 1940
Attitudes to women changed, they are more seen as workers
Women before WWII
Expected to be housewives
Could work until they got a husband
Marriage was their goal
How did household appliances change things in 50s and 60s
Women saved more money and time so they could spend more on homes
How did the contraceptive pill change things for women in the 50s and 60s
They can plan ahead of the pregnancy
They now have a choice
Contraception allowed for unmarried women in 1972
Eleanor Roosevelt
First lady 1933-45
Help press conferences for only female reporters so companies would hire more women
What did Eleanor Roosevelt ask from JFK
She offered her support in exchange for a commission to be set up investigating status of women in employment
Betty Friedan
Wrote a book called the Feminine Mystique, a bestseller
Set up National organisation for Women
What did the feminine mystique encourage
called for women to reject the traditional way of life
National Organisation for Women
NOW
They used moderate methods and created the NOW Bill of rights
What were features of the NOW Bill of rights
Equal rights Amendment
Maternity leave rights
Day care centres set up
Women’s Liberated Movement
More radical, extreme feminism
They crowned a sheep as Miss America
Effects of the WLM
Received a lot of ridicule
Distracted people from key issues
Once ineffectiveness was recognised, they dealt with problems more seriously later on
Abortion
NOW and WLM wanted to make it legal
1973, Roe v Wade allowed abortion
- abortion laws broke women’s rights
Phyllis Schlafly
Stood for Congress in 1952
Believed in traditional role and was against ERA
She set up ‘Stop ERA’
What was Phyllis worried about
Women having to serve in military
Women loosing financial aid from men
