Womens Rights Flashcards
What is feminist movement?
The demand for equal rights for women in the US law especially making their own decisions about reproduction.
What were some of the organisations that women set up?
National Organisation for Women (NOW)
Women’s Campaign Fund
National Black Feminist organisation.
How did the Second World War impact the feminist movement?
The Second World War helped to create jobs because there was a demand for more factory workers (making bullets, bombs etc) and when men left to got to war women often took their places. After this women liked being independent and working.
How did the Civil Rights movement impact the Feminist movement?
Civil rights movement helped the feminist movement because it led to many people believing that other rights including women’s rights could be addressed .
What was the equal pay act?
The Equal Pay Act was followed in 1964 by The Civil Rights Act that beaned employment based on race and Sex.
How did Eleanor Roosevelt affect the feminist movement?
She put Kennedy in 1960 under pressure to set up the Status Commissions to report on women in the work place. In 1963 it reported women earned around 60% less than men for the same job. 95% of managers were men. 4% of lawyers were women and 7% of Doctors were women.
The low status of women shocked many people.
What was ‘The Feminist Mystique’ by Betty Friedan?
She explained women should have equal rights as men and able to pursue a career. She wrote about the hundreds of female college students who felt depressed and undervalued because they achieved great qualifications but had to give them up it marry and have children. The book became a bestseller and in June 1963 congress passes the Equal Pay Act.
How did NOW impact the feminist movement?
Within a few years of being established it had 40, 000 members. They wrote to politicians, organised large demonstrations and took to court companies that failed to pay women equal wages.
How did younger younger more extreme women address the feminist movement?
They had more radical approaches. They became known as the WOMENS LIBERATION MOVEMENT?
They invaded all male bars and clubs burned men’s magazines that exploited women and magazines with articles of cooking and beauty. They also urged married women to keep their own name.
What did the Women’s Lib do in 1968 at Atlantic City?
As well as removing and burning bras women refused to wear make up. In 1968 over 400 women Libbers disrupted the Miss American beauty contest in Atlantic City by setting up litter bins and throwing in things like bras, curlers, tweezers, high heels and scrubbing brushes.
What was the Roe Vs Wade case?
Feminists argued they should be free to decide what happens to their own body’s and should not be forced to have a child.
In the Roe v Wade case lawyers successfully argued that 21 year old Jane Roe (Real name Norma McCorvey) had the right to an abortion. She had already had 2 children both of whom were put up yo adoption. Supreme Court ruled that women had the right to a safe legal abortion.
Give examples of laws relating to women’s rights?
Equal Pay Act - 1963
In 1965 it was made legal for married couples to use contraceptives.
In 1969 California became first state to have a ‘no fault’ divorce law allowing couples to divorce by mutual consent.
In 1972 the Education Amendment Act banned sexual discrimination in education enabling girls to study the same subjects as boys.
What was the Stop ERA Campaign?
The stop ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) led by Phyllis Schlafy was successful in preventing the Equal Rights Amendment from becoming part of the US constitution. He argued that ERA would lead to women in combat, greater abortion rates, unisex bathrooms and and homosexual marriages.
Was discrimination still held after the laws were passed by congress?
Yes despite changes in the law women’s average pay remained well below that of men and wide spread sex discrimination was still common. Even as late as 1985 there were only 24 female politicians in Congress out of 535.
How did men react to ‘The Women’s Lib Campaigns?’
Many men ridiculed the women’s lib campaign. Hugh Hefner, publisher of men’s magazine play boy, told his staff: “These checks are our natural enemy. It’s time to do battle with them. They are inalterable opposed to the romantic boy-girl society Playboy promotes.
