The second wave of feminism was a crucial era during the early 1960s in the United States, it was largely based on issues surrounding equal rights and opportunities for women in many key aspects such as, personally, politically and economically. It fundamentally challenged important issues that women felt existed during that time. Unlike the first wave, the second wave broadened a wide range of issues, essentially focusing on sexuality, reproductive rights, family life, the workplace and legal inequalities. After World War II, the second wave of feminism came as a response to the experiences that women went through. The post- war was a time that was characterized by multiple key events, including the Baby Boom, economic growth and the development …show more content…
After passing out a survey at her college reunion at Smith College, she confirmed what she had suspected, that a numerous amount of women were unhappy and they couldn’t explain why. She then decided to undertake a series of extensive studies on the topic of suburban housewives, which included questionnaires, conducting interviews, meeting with professionals to further discuss her findings, as well as her own personal experiences and compiled her research into her book The Feminine Mystique. In The Feminine Mystique, Friedan articulated “the problem that has no name,” the frustration and widespread unhappiness that suburban middle- class women felt as solely being …show more content…
These issues included equal pay for women, maternity leave, legal abortion, demanded child care centers, protection against sexual violence and domestic abuse. The legislative victories throughout the 1960s, prompted Friedan to join forces with other women to start the National Organization for Women, the largest women’s group in 1966. As president of NOW, Friedan dedicated her work to achieve equality and opportunity for women. As a political liberal figure, Friedan directed campaigns, litigations and public demonstrations to legalize abortion, employment opportunities, political equality and fought to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, which unfortunately failed. “In these early years NOW undertook a number of campaigns, most relying on legal challenges, others on direct action, and with a major focus on fighting sex discrimination in the workplace. Sex-segregated job advertisements, for example, were banned, sex discrimination by Federal Contractors was outlawed, and airlines had to change their hiring policies for flight attendants” (Margalit,
In the 1960’s, the civil rights movement was the act inspiring the second wave of feminism. The passing of the civil rights act protected women
Canadian workplaces today seem to be a fairly diverse place, with a blend of many religions, ethnicities, and genders present. However, although people preach affirmative action and melting pots in current times, many inequality and power issues still abound. One strikingly noticeable example is gender discrimination. Women in the workforce face many challenges like smaller wages, harassment, male privilege in hiring or promotions, and lack of support when pregnant or raising children. One half of the planet is women, and it can be assumed the same for Canada, but they still face judgment at work because they lack the authority to dispute against big corporations or even their male supervisor. It cannot be argued that Canadian women’s status has worsened over the past hundred years, of course, thanks to feminism and activism. However, their status is not as high as it could be. Women as a group first started fighting for workplace equality during the second wave of feminism, from the 1960s to the 1990s. Legislation was approved during the second wave to try to bring gender equality to the workplace. Feminists both collided and collaborated with unions and employers to ensure women received fair treatment in an occupation. Quebec had the same issues, only the province approached the conflict differently than English Canada with its own unique viewpoint. It became clear that women were entering the workplace and did not plan on leaving. Second-wave feminism in Canada shifted power from the government and businesses to women in order to try to bring equality, although the discrimination never completely disappeared.
One would have to be a fool to believe that men and women have always been or even are equal. Only in the past century have women been allowed to vote and 50 years since women of color could vote. Even today, women and men are held to different standards. Betty Friedan (1921-2006) was a feminist that was not only an author, but also, the first president of an organization known as the National Organization for Women. She is well-known for her work "The Feminine Manifesto", and she is the author of the article "The Importance of Work". Betty Friedan was a feminist during the height of the women's rights movement, so it is not surprising in the least that her article hit on women's rights. "The Importance
The first wave of feminism is more commonly known as the women’s liberation or women’s suffrage movement. First wave feminist’s main concern was in political power especially in terms of the right to vote, having a voice. They believed that changes within society could be made gradually within society to achieve equality rather than having to demolish the way things were and reconstruct them.
The “Feminine Mystique” is a highly influential book in the early second wave feminism movement. It is said that it helped shaped the demands of the second wave by insisting for the right to work outside the home, and to be paid equally; the right for reproductive freedom; the demand that women should not be expected to have children and be mothers if they do not want to. Betty Friedan addresses “the problem that has no name” which is the women who are highly educated, suburban housewives that are bored and want something “more” in their life. This is the point where women knew we needed a second wave. Women’s role had gone backwards and they were beginning to realize that they were all experiencing the same “problem that has no name”. “The
Throughout the waves of liberal feminism, there is a new characteristic to be associated with the feminist group. In the first waves, it’s white, married, wealthy women who fit the criteria to be a feminist. The first wave begins in 1900 and ends around 1920, during the times of the Suffragettes. This wave began to introduce the inequalities between men and women, especially relating to voting and education. The second wave began to rise in 1950 which introduced reproductive rights, entitlement to sex, marriage, jobs, social lives, and politics. This wave continued to the 1970’s. It’s not until the third wave, which hits in the 1990’s, when inequalities among women are introduced to the feminist movement (FYS Class Notes).
While the 1960s were a time of advancement for minorities, it was also a time of advancement for women. In 1963, Congress passed the Equal Pay Act, which outlawed discrimination in the workplace based on a person’s sex (Foner 944). To ensure that women would have the same opportunities as men in jobs, education, and political participation, the National Organization for women was formed in 1966 (Foner 944). The sixties also marked the beginning of a public campaign to repeal state laws that banned abortion or left the decision to terminate a pregnancy to physicians instead of the woman (Foner 945).
... setting up the basis for the second movement. After women began talking about the family economy during the first wave, the women were able to shift their focus to their personal careers and salaries during the second wave. Additionally, the first wave gave women the right to vote, but the second wave gave women more political power. Women distinguished themselves through their sexuality in the first wave, while the second wave helped women distinguish themselves through their strength. The achievements of the second feminist movement clearly had their roots in the first movement. Feminism is now entering its third wave. Regardless of whether the new feminists use an indirect approach, like the 1920s movement, or a direct approach, like the 1970s movement, American women will continue fighting for gender equality until the words “man” and “woman” both mean “human.”
But when the “Women’s Movement,” is referred to, one would most likely think about the strides taken during the 1960’s for equal treatment of women. The sixties started off with a bang for women, as the Food and Drug Administration approved birth control pills, President John F. Kennedy established the President's Commission on the Status of Women and appointed Eleanor Roosevelt as chairwoman, and Betty Friedan published her famous and groundbreaking book, “The Feminine Mystique” (Imbornoni). The Women’s Movement of the 1960’s was a ground-breaking part of American history because along with African-Americans another minority group stood up for equality, women were finished with being complacent, and it changed women’s lives today.
‘The term second-wave feminism refers mostly to the radical feminism of the women’s liberation movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s.’ The first wave of feminism which started in the 1930’s started the battle for women’s rights, equality and the right to vote. It witnessed the rise of the suffrages but unfortunately only focused on white middle class women. The second wave set out for much more. Described as one the largest social movements in U.s history women joined together in a mass protest to shout out against sexual objectification and hierarchal authority.
Locke, Jillian L. "Feminism (Second-Wave)." Encyclopedia of U.S. Political History. Ed. Thomas S. Langston. Vol. 6: Postwar Consensus to Social Unrest, 1946 to 1975. Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2010. 170-174. Gale Virtual Library
As Third Wave feminism is currently unfolding before us, and its aims encompass a wide array of complex issues, it is often hard to describe what Third Wave feminism is. The feminist theories, mainly associated with First and Second Wave feminism attempt to describe the power imbalances that are found in society, and while doing so expose other oppressions, such as discrimination based on race or sexual orientation. As this essay attempts to place a clear definition to Third Wave feminism, feminists are concurrently trying to deconstruct old definitions and open it up for women to determine what feminism means to them. In other words, no clear definition on what is meant to be a feminist is sufficient, as the Third Wave is about equality and freedom for all citizens, regardless of sex, class, race or sexual orientation.
The first wave created an amazing starting point for the change of the future in women’s rights. Without the first and second wave of feminism our society still would probably be different today. Gaining the right to vote for all women is very crucial because we all deserve to have the voice in politics even being the minority. Having fair and proper opportunities for women in the workplace for women shows unity. Not to mention that women have every right to do as they please with their body’s and how they wish to change that apart from their life.
The National Organization for Women (NOW) believes in equality between males and females, which is planning on happening (Statement of Purpose, 1966). Women were given many new rights that they have never been able to have before.
They gained basic rights for a less subservient life style; marriage became a thing of love not obligation. The second wave of feminism came in the 1960s when women saw the opportunity to become completely equal with men in the United States. The latest wave, the