feminist movement in USA

Question 1

What was the situation for women in the USA in 1945?

Answer 1

Gained vote in 1920 but the homemaker ideal still remained.

1945: women still earned 65 percent of what men did and were not provided with childcare by the federal government.

Federal government encouraged women to join the workforce during WW2.
WW2 did not alter attitudes about gender equality.

Question 2

Why did women’s activism increase in the 60s

Answer 2

Persistent inequality= 18 states refused to allow women to be jurors
economic pressures= 6 states said they could not enter into financial agreements without a male co-signatory.
betty friedan= 1963. The Feminine Mystique led to consciousness raising: urging women to break out of the camp and achieve their potential.
It became a bestseller, particularly among college students.
consciousness-raising.

Question 3

Impact of the civil rights movement on feminism

Answer 3

It publicized that groups could be discriminated against on grounds of cultural and physical characteristics.

Showed the power of pressure groups in gaining legislative reform

Women faced discrimination and sexual harassment in organizations such as SNCC, SCLC, which inspired many female civil rights activists to campaign for gender equality as well.

Question 4

what event prompted Friedan, pioneers of the Labour movement, business women, professional women and civil right activities to form the National Organization for Women (NOW)

Answer 4

the government’s equal employment opportunities commission EEOC which publicly refused to enforce a title of the 1964 civil rights act, which contained a ban on discrimination and in employment on the basis of sex as well as race.

Question 5

what was the aim of NOW
what did NOW achieve? and what did they demand

Answer 5

to monitor the enforcement of the legislation

child care assistance for working mothers, legalized abortion and particularly the equal right amendment ERA.

1970 a national women’s strike for equality. Thousands marched with “ don’t iron while the strike is hot” banners. Some dumped their children on their husbands desks.
NOW had won 30 million dollars in back pay for women.
NOW fought over 1000 legal cases during johnson’s presidency
1960 pill made available

child care assistance for working mothers, legalized abortion and particularly the equal right amendment ERA.

Question 6

what was the movement of the women who sought equal rights known as

Answer 6

women’s liberation

Question 7

what become prominent starting 1967

outline examples of books written during the consciousness raising.

outline a protests a part of the consciousness. raising

Answer 7

consciousness raising. Women discussed discrimination and inequality in consciousness raising meetings in colleges, which became a popular course, and in the community.

one group wrote Our Bodies Ourseleves, 1973, a bestseller with practical information on anatomy, sexuality, rape, self defense, sexually transmitted diseases, birth control, abortion, etc.

women began using the prefix M against the. Differentiation between Miss and Mrs.

Question 8

results of consciousness raising

Answer 8

Around a quarter women said they felt discriminated against in a 1960 poll. The proportion rose to ⅔ by 1974.

Question 9

since when was ERA demanded

Answer 9

since the 1920s but abortion was a radical demand that alienated women

Question 10

what kind of opposition. did feminists face and was it significant

Answer 10

1970s: conservative opposition to feminists demands grew. Opponents to ERA said it would lead to the end of the nuclear family, the conscription of women, and unisex toilets. Politicians had to take feminists seriously tho..

Question 11

how did president Johnson react to the feminist demands

Answer 11

1963-69: with an. executive. order that banned gender discrimination in federal connected employment. women’s groups monitored enforcement: NOW fought over 1000 legal cases of discrimination.

Question 12

how did president Nixon respond to ERA

what else did Nixon oppose

what. Did Nixon fear

Answer 12

He made it Clear that he opposes it even as congress overwhelmingly voted for it

the change on family life.
divorce rate doubled between 1960 and 80 to over 40 percent

abortion+ the 1971 Child development Act a bill (a national system of childcare centers for poor working mothers, for which feminist is had long lobbied)

Question 13

Outline the greatest success of the women’s liberation movement which came through the supreme court

Answer 13

NOW played a big part in the 1972 ruling that the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment applied to women.

The court cited the 1964 civil rights act and the 1973 equal pay act when it ruled against hiring that discriminated against mothers with smaller children and for equal pay in the armed forces.

Question 14

What were the consequences of many states making abortion a felony?

Situation for abortions in the 60s?

Answer 14

Led to risky backstreet abortions, with unqualified practitioners using primitive instruments and harsh chemicals.

College students could usually obtain safe abortions performed by nice doctors, but poor women lacked access.

Question 15

what was NARAL and when was it established?

Answer 15

1971, National Abortion Rights Action League. Set up to lobby state legislatures to review traditional and anti abortion laws. It established crisis centers for victims of rape and physical assault.

Question 16

Which event, led to Roe v. Wade?

Consequences of Roe v. Wade?

Answer 16

1973
Supreme Court looked at the case of an impoverished Texas woman who did not want to bear a child in poverty. Texas abortion prohibited it. Feminist lawyers argued that the rights to contraception should be extended to abortion. In Roe v. Wade the Supreme Court ruled that women could abort in the first 13 weeks.

Thrilled NOW and Planned Parenthood. However it mobilized conservatives who established the National Right to Life Committee and campaigned in courts, elections and streets.

Question 17

Supreme Court on Hyde’s bill

Answer 17

1977: Supreme Court ruled Hyde’s bill ( a law that banned the use of federal funds for a abortion)

Question 18

An example of a Stop ERA protest?

Answer 18

When 20’000 feminists met in Texas, for a NOW conference in 1978, Schlafly organized a counter rally that attracted 8000 supporters.

Catholic lawyer and mother of six, Phyllis schlafly. Her stop ERA organization, the Eagle Forum, established in 1972 was joined by 50’000 people.

Question 19

What was the situation for women by the time president ford (1974-77) came into power?

Answer 19

Over 2/3 of female college students agreed that a women’s place in the home was nonsense. Most women expected to work for most of their lives, even with young families. More women entered male occupied fields, although they only received 73 percent of the salaries paid to men.

Question 20

How supportive was Ford?

Answer 20

His wife, Lady Betty Ford, championed the ERA and Roe v. Wade. But her husband did nothing to help women.

Question 21

To which extent was president Jimmy Carter supportive of women’s rights? (1977-81)?

Answer 21

Sensitive to women’s rights. Appointed 2 female cabinet members and more women to high level posts than any previous president. He supported ERA, which congress had passed in 72 but still needed ratification by 4 states.

However he was conservative on abortions, opposing federal funding in exception when the mothers life was in danger, rape or incest.

Question 22

What effect did Reagan’s presidency have on the women’s liberation movement?

Answer 22

It went quieter, with the defeat of the ERA in 82. Fashion reflected the conservative trends: “girls want to be girls again”. Newsweek lamented divorce rates and wondered whether working “Supermums” were damaging their kids.

Question 23

What occurred in 1988 in terms of abortion rights?

Answer 23

Anti abortionists joined Operation Rescue, a militant new organization that used sit-ins to block access to abortion clinics. Thousands of members were jailed in 88-89 and few of the most extremist bombed clinics and killed medical practitioners.

Question 24

what was the supreme court ruling of 1988?

Answer 24

Webster v. Reproductive Services of Missouri, 1989, Supreme Court ruled that states could deny women access to public abortion facilities. Webster did not overturn Roe v. Wade, which was reaffirmed by a 1992 Supreme Court decision.

Question 25

Plot twist of president bush? 1989-93.

Answer 25

Early in his career claimed to be pro choice but he switched due during the 1988 presidential campaign.
forbade doctors working in federal funded clinics to give advice on abortion
stopped military hospitals performing abortions

Question 26

How supportive was Clinton? 1993-2001

Answer 26

Pro choice and was highly popular with women voters. Due to him the focus of feminism had changed.

Question 27

What did the first stage feminism focus on

What was the focus of second stage feminism?

Answer 27

first wave: quality under the law and in the workplace.

second wave: The problems of combining work and home

Question 28

which acts did clinton pass?

Answer 28

1993 Family and medical leave Act: increased employers flexibility over paternal leave, Clinton was heavily important in its passing.

Quickly signed executive orders to reverse Bush’s abortion policies

Question 29

What was Clinton’s attitude towards second stage feminism?

Answer 29

sympathized with second stage feminism and unsuccessfully sought state-supervised childcare centers for the working poor, which conservatives derided as government babysitting.

Question 30

What did polls in the 90s show?

Answer 30

That most Americans were pro choice although extremism flourished. For example, a gynaecologist outside an abortion clinic was shot by a pro life activists in 93.

Question 31

Statistics demonstrating economic equality for women in 2000s

Answer 31

2000: women held nearly 50 percent of executive and managerial positions, compared to 32 percent in 1983

2000: full time female workers earnings were still only 76 percent of men’s

Question 32

Progress on political equality for women in 2000?

Answer 32

Increasing number of women were elected to the House of Representatives, however the number remained very low.