Women's Movement

What was the 1960s American women's movement?

Inspired by the civil rights movement, women began to campaign for equal rights during the 1960s.

What was the attitude to women in America in the 1960s?

The 2 main traditional views of a woman's role in the 1960s were:

• ❖ A woman's place was in the home, looking after the children.
• ❖ Once married, a woman was expected to give up her job and become a housewife.

Why did women start protesting in America in the 1960s?

There were 6 main reasons women began to protest during the 1960s:

• ❖ Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of President Roosevelt, had campaigned for women's rights since the 1930s and this encouraged women to protest.
• ❖ Betty Friedan's book, 'The Feminine Mystique', explored the position and role of women and raised the case for equality, influencing many women.
• ❖ Women were unhappy they did not receive equal pay to men for doing the same job, as discovered by the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women.
• ❖ The 1960s was a period of protest and the civil rights movement influenced many women.
• ❖ The increased desire for gadgets like the television and labour-saving devices such as the washing machine meant households needed more than one wage-earner to afford them. Such devices also meant women had more time and so could work outside the home.
• ❖ The development of the contraceptive pill from 1960 meant women could choose when they had a family and plan their career and education around it.

Who influenced the women's movement in America in the 1960s?

There were 5 main groups and individuals influential in the women's movement:

• ❖ Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of President Roosevelt.
• ❖ Betty Friedan, author of 'The Feminine Mystique'.
• ❖ The National Organisation of Women, or NOW.
• ❖ Stop Taking Our Privileges (STOP) by Phyllis Schlafly.
• ❖ The Women's Liberation Movement.

Why did some people not agree with the women's movement in America in the 1960s?

There were 3 key reasons people opposed the women's movement:

• ❖ Some people objected to equality, believing in traditional gender roles. They thought the women's movement was damaging to society and family life.
• ❖ Those who strongly opposed the women's movement said all feminists were lesbians.
• ❖ There was opposition to some of the movement's aims, particularly its demands on abortion, which drove many women to form and join other groups that supported a woman's traditional role as homemaker.

How did some people oppose the women's movement in the 1960s?

There were 3 ways in which people opposed the women's movement:

• ❖ The women's movement attracted a lot of negative publicity and media coverage was often negative.
• ❖ Those who took part in protests were often verbally abused and sometimes attacked.
• ❖ Groups such as Stop Taking Our Privileges (STOP) by Phyllis Schlafly were set up by those who opposed certain aims of the women's movement.

Was the women's movement a success in America in the 1960s?

There were 6 main achievements:

• ❖ Equal pay for men and women who were doing the same job was made law in the Equal Pay Act of 1963.
• ❖ NOW, or the National Organisation of Women, won several court cases in which women who were paid less than men for doing the same job were awarded money.
• ❖ Discrimination based on gender was made illegal in the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
• ❖ Sex discrimination in education was made illegal in the Education Amendment Act of 1972, which stated boys and girls should follow the same school curriculum.
• ❖ The women's movement led to the legalisation of abortion through the Roe v. Wade court case in 1973.
• ❖ More women were encouraged to become politically active and work in a wider range of jobs. The traditional role of women was challenged.

What were the limitations of the women's movement in America in the 1960s?

There were 3 main limitations to the achievements of the women's movement:

• ❖ The number of women in management roles remained very low.
• ❖ Sexism still existed.
• ❖ Equal pay is still an issue today.