Women factors Flashcards
1
Q
Feminism political helping
A
Yes
- NWSA AND AWSA were both hugely powerful first wave feminism groups who merged in 1890 to form the NAWSA 1890, membership increasing to 100,000 by 1915. This was a hugely significant factor pushing for women’s suffrage
- Individual women like Jeanette Rankin becoming the first women to take a seat in the House of Representatives in 1917 despite not being able to vote
But
- The rest of the period was marked by limited female activism in politics, even by 1969 only 20 women put themselves forward for positions in Congress, 11 of whom were seated.
- The second wave feminist movements equally failed to increase political involvement dramatically
2
Q
Feminism economic helping
A
Yes
- This period is a story of the gradual increase in women’s employment
- To an extent it could be argued that it was the activism of all women which contributed to the break down in the separate spheres ideologies historically preventing women from working, one example of this is that despite pressures of returning men from WWII, 75% of women wanted to remain employed
- Betty Friedan found NOW in 1966 whose aim was to attack sexual discrimination in the workplace
But
- Counter with other factors
3
Q
Feminism reproductive helping
A
Yes
- Activism of Betty Friedan, setting up NARAL in 1968, leads to Roe v. Wade 1973, legalising abortion
Fighting 1965 Griswold v. Connecticut to cement the right to contraception through the right to privacy - Margret Sanger founded the the American Birth Control League in 1921 with 27,500 members by 1924. It fought the Comstock Laws of 1873 until 1938 when they were repealed
But
- Counter with other factors
4
Q
The economy economic helping
A
Yes
- Developments in the economy increase and decreased women’s employment like any other social group, the boom of the 20s took the proportion workforce who were women from 23% in 1920 to 28% in 1930, whilst the Great depression caused this number to decrease to 25% by 1930.
But
- No special help in the harder times women were expected to give up their jobs for men, a poll finding that 82% of Americans were opposed to women working
5
Q
Supreme Court reproductive helping
A
Yes
- Griswold v. Connecticut 1965 upholding the legalisation of contraception
- Roe v. Wade 1973 legalising abortion
But
- Only period of action being these few years, equally driven by the activism of women
6
Q
Congress and president political helping
A
Yes
- Particular governments and presidents took differing views on women’s right
- A third of Clinton’s 500 appointments were women with 47 congress women serving in 1992
- An Woodrow Wilson pushed the 19th Amendment
But
- Limited consistency over the period
7
Q
Congress and president economical helping
A
Yes
- Passing of the Sheppard-Towner Act 1921 funds made available for maternity leave and child care cut
- 1963 Equal Pay Act brought an end to the legalisation of wage disparities based on gender set by the Fair Labour Standards Act 1938
- Passing through the ERA in 1972, although blocked by the states
But
- Despite activism starting with Alice Paul in 1923 then NOW in the late 20th Century the ERA was never passed the lack of state cooperation must be seen as a failure of congress
8
Q
Congress and president reproductive helping
A
Yes
- Roosevelt bringing an end to the Comstock laws of 1873 in 1938
But
- This is a very limited development
9
Q
Divisions within the women’s movement political hindering/ regress
A
Yes
- The divide between feminists in the 1960s and 1970s hindered the passing of the Equal Rights Amendment, first drafted in 1923 by Alice Paul, it was introduced in congress through this period
- It was the view of women as well that they were not fit to vote, the National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage 1911 for example was headed up by Josephine Dodge and had a predominately female following
But
- As the period went on the image of the non politically active woman began to lessen, the rift became less of a hinderance
10
Q
Divisions within the women’s movement reproductive hindering/ regress
A
Yes
- There was an active female opposition to feminism, the Feminist for Life organisation was founded in 1972, opposing the legalisation of abortion
- They were active as a lobby group post Roe v. Wade, keeping abortion a debated topic.
But
- They were not able to stop
11
Q
Congress and the president political hindering/ regress
A
Yes
- Ultimately inactive between 1865 and 1920 on women’s political rights
- This in itself is a major political hinderance
But
- Counter with other factors
12
Q
Congress and the president economic hindering/ regress
A
Yes
- Inaction at dealing with the gender wage disparity, never bringing in any level of positive discrimination as they did with AA
- 1938 The Fair Labor Standards Act set a gender wage disparity
- GI Bill of Rights 1944 excluded women from its benefits
- Women still only made up 4.8% of executives in 1970
But
- Counter with other factors
13
Q
Congress and the president reproductive hindering/ regress
A
Yes
- Inaction at repealing Comstock laws between 1873 and 1938
But
- Counter with other factors
14
Q
The economy economic hindering/ regress
A
Yes
- In times of depression the right of women to work was hit the hardest
- In the Great Depression 82% of all Americans were opposed to women working, in these times of hardship jobs were seen as male privileges
But
- Ups and downs by no means a constant hinderance
