National Organisation for Women

What was the National Organisation for Women?

The National Organisation for Women, or NOW, was created to attract supporters and put pressure on the government to enforce equality. Betty Friedan was its first president.

When was the National Organisation for Women set up?

The National Organisation for Women, or NOW, was created in 1966.

Why was the National Organisation for Women set up?

The National Organisation for Women was set up for 2 main reasons:

• ❖ The Equal Pay Act of 1963 had not solved the problem of unequal pay for women and men for doing the same job. Women were still being paid less than men.
• ❖ Existing protest movements for civil rights and students were not tackling the issues of sexism.

What were the National Organisation for Women's aims?

NOW demanded equal rights for women in US law, as well as the right of women to choose when they had children.

How many members did the National Organisation for Women have?

By the end of the 1960s, NOW had around 40,000 members.

How did the National Organisation for Women campaign?

They used a variety of tactics and methods to try and bring about change, including protest marches, petitions and strikes.

What impact did the National Organisation for Women have?

The National Organisation for Women achieved 2 main successes:

• ❖ NOW increased awareness of the inequality faced by women and inspired many to challenge the system.
• ❖ The organisation successfully fought a number of court cases and won compensation for women from businesses that failed to pay them the same wage as men, despite the Equal Pay Act of 1963.

What were the main failures of the National Organisation for Women?

There were 2 main ways in which NOW failed:

• ❖ Some considered NOW too radical, particularly on its support for abortion and the Equal Rights Amendment.
• ❖ Many felt NOW did not do enough to help poorer women as the majority of its members tended to be middle or upper class.