The Women's Equity Action League (NOW)

2217 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Effects on women during World War 2

The second feminist movement, which took place during the 1960s and 1970s, changed women’s rights and roles within society in the United States. There were multiple influences that motivated women to participate in gaining equal rights. Even though there were great things to come from the movement structures within were not as effective and more efforts could have been made. Women within the movement and the movement as a whole accomplished many goals in attaining equality but more might have been done. World War II and its affects heavily influenced the women’s movement decades later. During World War II, women had to step up and work since a large portion of the male population was overseas. When troops returned women went back to a more …show more content…

“The qualities of intimacy, support, and virtual structurelessness made the small group a brilliant tool for spreading the movement” (Evans, “Personal Politics” 215). Having these small groups allowed for more inclusion of members and their ideals considering larger groups could not handle the amount of participation from members. The National Organization for Women (NOW) became so large it had trouble representing everyone’s view of what the organization should be working towards. The Women’s Equity Action League (WEAL) was formed in 1968 when NOW decided to endorse the legalization of abortion. Some members within NOW did not support the decision, “fearing such a position would interfere with their primary interest in employment and education discrimination” so WEAL was formed (Evans, “Tidal Wave” 25). The fear from a new group in forming is division of the movement. Elizabeth Boyer, a WEAL attorney, stated to NOW that WEAL would not compete for members but try to attain new ones (Evans, “Tidal Waves” …show more content…

This one demographic was the main voice of the movement but it did not accurately represent everyone who supported women’s rights. Minority groups were barely represented. Black women were very active in the civil rights movement even though they were often given the clerical jobs and never leadership positions. They put their fight for racial rights before gender for several reasons. First white women thought that black women would take over the meetings and say they had been even more oppressed not just because of their gender but also race. Black women saw the movement as more white. They didn’t want to divide their support from civil rights to be represented by just white women with white women issues (Evans, “Tidal Wave” 33). There were a few black feminist organizations set up but the racial barrier was never crossed to unite as one movement for the same cause: equality.
Hispanic women were not well represented also. They blossomed as an organization in the 1970s when journals were published and conferences were held (Evans, “Tidal Wave” 32). They were well organized in that they set agendas and had workshops but they were not comfortable like other minority groups in joining the women’s movement. Asian American and American Indian women also formed groups. They were not as successful in changing policies but it gave those women an opportunity to find a community that would support

Show More
Related

  • Alice Paul v. Carrie Chapman Catt

    583 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Even in the modern day world, women struggle against discriminatory stigmas based on their sex. However, the beginnings of the feminist movement in the early 20th century set in motion the lasting and continuing expansion of women's rights” (Open Websites). One such organization that pushed for women’s rights was the National American Women Suffrage Association (NAWSA), established in 1890. The NAWSA was the largest suffrage organization and worked toward securing the right to vote. The NAWSA however was split into two, the NAWSA and the National Women’s Party (NWP), when suffragists were disagreeing on how to achieve their goal.

    Read More

  • 20th Century Canada History Essay

    912 Words  | 2 Pages

    Before World War I, equality for woman and men were very unfair. Woman weren’t even legally “persons”; they weren’t allowed to join parliament or the senate because they weren’t legally “persons”, therefore these jobs were occupied by men only. During World War I and World War II, many men had left for war, thus meaning there were many job openings that needed to be occupied as soon as possible, women then began to take on stereotypical male jobs which men thought women couldn’t do or couldn’t do as well. Women showed their capabilities and realized they shouldn’t be considered less than men. In retaliation of not being considered “persons”, women decided to take action.

    Read More

  • Gender Roles and the Cuban Revolution of 1959

    1706 Words  | 4 Pages

    It quickly became a mass organization with a membership of ninety seven percent of all women over the age of fourteen. It mobilized women very effectively to an array of necessary tasks' (Lewis 1977).

    Read More

  • The Role Of Domesticity In The 1950's

    1482 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the war, women played a vital role in the workforce because all of the men had to go fight overseas and left their jobs. This forced women to work in factories and volunteer for war time measures.

    Read More

  • Women Trade Union League Case Study

    1702 Words  | 4 Pages

    After the war and the granting of Women’s suffrage, the issues that faced the Women’s Trade Union League took an international turn in reaction to the devastation of the World War. And the WTUL also faced internal debate with women in the United States about the legitimacy of the protective laws put in place that restricted the amount of hours women could work. Acknowledging the ultimate failure of their efforts for the past 20 years to organize the female labor force or integrate them into the male unions, they turned their attention to defending protective laws and promoting peace as a means of fulfilling their purpose of improving the welfare of working women. Elite, educated women of the Progressive Era, many who were previously involved with the Settlement House Movement, turned to the work of the Women’s Trade Union League because they were convinced that the organizing of working women into unions was an effective way of providing these poor women with a way to help themselves.... ... middle of paper ...

    Read More

  • Compare and Contrast Women’s Suffrage Movements

    1322 Words  | 3 Pages

    Whereas the women’s suffrage movements focused mainly on overturning legal obstacles to equality, the feminist movements successfully addressed a broad range of other feminist issues. The first dealt primarily with voting rights and the latter dealt with inequalities such as equal pay and reproductive rights. Both movements made vast gains to the social and legal status of women. One reached its goals while the other continues to fight for women’s rights.

    Read More

  • Women's Suffrage in American History

    680 Words  | 2 Pages

    This movement which was inspired by the ideologies of courageous women and fueled by their enthusiasm and sacrifice is often unacknowledged by most historians in the chronicles of American History. Today the movement is often misunderstood as a passive, white upper class, naive cause. But a deeper study would reveal that the women’s suffrage movement was the one that brought together the best and brightest women in America, which not only changed the lives of half the citizens of United States but also changed the social attitudes of millions of Americans.

    Read More

  • How the Civil Rights Movement Influenced the Women's Liberation Movement

    1779 Words  | 4 Pages

    The civil rights movement influenced the women’s liberation movement in four key ways. First, it provided women with a model for success on how a successful movement should organize itself. Second, the civil rights movement broadened the concept of leadership to include women. Third, by fighting for equality, the civil rights movement changed the culture of advocacy and made social justice a legitimate cause. Finally, by eventually excluding women, the civil rights movement spurred women to organize their own movement. Without the civil rights movement, the women’s movement likely would never taken off on its own.

    Read More

  • Nothing But A Man Essay

    1408 Words  | 3 Pages

    A lot of African American women walked in this march because they were a part of different organizations, or different councils. They wanted the racial injustice to stop

    Read More

  • Women's Movement Of 1960's

    1213 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • National Organization for Women

    2250 Words  | 5 Pages

    National Organization for Women The National Organization for Women (NOW) is the largest feminist activists’ interest group in the United States that seeks to protect the individual rights of women. The influential success of NOW can be understood through the following factors. Its’ concrete background; nearly half century worth of history as foundation; well structured organization; membership incentives; the function and approach of NOW/PAC and NEP; up to date Statement of Purpose; high priority to key issues that benefits society as a whole; and lastly the services that NOW provides on the global scale. NOW currently has 500,000 active members and 550 chapters throughout the 50 states and District of Columbia.

    Read More

  • Essay On Feminism In The 1920s

    1218 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... 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.”

    Read More

  • The Women's Liberation Movement

    1111 Words  | 3 Pages

    Beginning in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, women began to vocalize their opinions and desires for the right to vote. The Women’s Suffrage movement paved the way for the nineteenth Amendment in the United States Constitution that allowed women to have that right. The Women’s Suffrage movement started a movement for equal rights for women that has continued to propel equal opportunities for women throughout the country. The Women’s Liberation Movement has sparked better opportunities, demanded respect and pioneered the path for women entering the workforce that was started by the right to vote and given momentum in the late 1950s. The focus of The Women’s Liberation Movement was idealized off The Civil Rights Movement; it was founded on the elimination of discriminatory practices and sexist attitudes (Freeman, 1995).

    Read More

  • The Role of African American Women in the Civil Rights Movement

    2574 Words  | 6 Pages

    When discussing the American Civil Rights Movement, the names that seem to come up are those of prominent black men. While these men did enormous amounts of good during this movement, there are many women who seem to be poorly represented or credited. Black women had a huge amount of influence during the Civil Rights Movement. While many of the protests and movements were led by men, the women were behind the scenes organizing and promoting and popularizing the ideas themselves. Many women were heavily involved in political organizations such as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and many others. Even if they were not directly involved in organizations, however, many black women became informal leaders of movements and/or enthusiastic participants. A few famous example of black women’s involvement are: Citizenship Schools in South Carolina, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, And various women’s involvement in political groups and organizations.

    Read More

  • Feminist Movement Essay

    1833 Words  | 4 Pages

    The feminist movement helped earn women the right to vote, but even then, it wasn’t enough to get accepted into the workforce. They were given the strength to fight the journey for equality and social justice. There has been known to be three waves of feminism, each wave fighting for a different issue concerning women’s rights. Laws protecting sexual assault and alimony would be enacted, and women were now allowed custody of their children in divorce cases.

    Read More

More about The Women's Equity Action League (NOW)

Open Document