The Development of the Feminist Movement (AQA GCSE History)
Revision Note
Why was there a Feminist Movement in the 1960s? - Summary
Since achieving the right to vote in 1920, some women moved away from traditional roles and sought more independence.
During the 1950s, most women were still seen in their traditional roles as mothers and housewives. However, as the 1960s progressed some women saw this as their opportunity for change. The Civil Rights movement's success and protests against the Vietnam War inspired many women to fight for greater equality under the law.
The need for change was greater than ever as women had a more prominent role in American society. For example, by 1960 approximately half of the workforce in the US were women however they were paid considerably less than men.
Many middle-class women were inspired by the Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan as it stressed the need for equality between men and women and supported the idea that women wanted to have careers.
Presidential Commission on the Status of Women
In 1961, President John. F. Kennedy created the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women
This commission was created to report on women in the workplace
The report highlighted key inequalities including that women:
Were paid less
Often only worked part-time
Were much less likely to have a professional career
Had fewer rights in the workforce
National Organisation for Women (NOW)
In 1966 the National Organization for Women (NOW) was established
Established by a group of 48 women, including Betty Friedan
NOW had approximately 40,000 members who were mostly middle-aged and middle- class women
At its first national conference in 1967, it created a Bill of Rights which stated:
Women were to have equal rights in US law
Women should have reproductive rights
Discrimination in employment towards women should end
There should be equality in pay
Women had the right to paid maternity leave
The Women’s Liberation Movement
In 1967, The Women’s Liberation Movement (WLM) was created
The WLM was mainly made up of younger women
It was more radical than the National Organization for Women as they wanted:
To remove the patriarchy
Free women from a male-dominated society
The WLM tried to achieve its aims by:
Protesting at the 1968 Miss America beauty pageant
Holding meetings to discuss the exploitation of women in society
Criticising the content of traditional women’s magazines
Helping women to deal with issues, such as
Domestic violence
Rape
The 1972 Equal Rights Amendment
Throughout the 1960s women protested for equal pay and opportunities
The Equal Pay Act of 1963 banned discrimination of pay based on gender
Even with the changes to the law women still faced
Significantly lower than men’s pay
Faced discrimination in the workplace due to their gender
In 1972, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was passed by Congress
The ERA stated that
Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied by the United States or by a State on account of sex
The ERA had to be ratified by at least 38 states before the change to the United States Constitution could happen, and it faced great opposition
The STOP ERA campaign
Not all women supported the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
Some working-class women were not interested in feminism
Many religious women were not interested in issues such as equal pay
Some women who were happy with their social status
Phyllis Schlafly was the leader of the “Stop Taking Our Privileges” (STOP ERA) campaign
STOP ERA supporters believed the ERA would lead to:
An increase in abortion rates
Same- sex marriages
Women in the army
Unisex bathrooms
The STOP ERA campaign was successful
The ERA was only ratified by 35 states and failed to be a part of the United States Constitution
Exam Tip
You could be given a question that asks you to explain in what ways were women’s lives affected by the feminist movements of the 1970s.
In this answer, you would be expected to demonstrate the different groups of women who were affected and those who were not. For example, in your answer, you could include those women who supported change such as Betty Friedan, and those who were not interested in the women’s movement such as some working- class and religious women.
Roe v Wade, 1973
Abortion rights were a heavily debated topic in the US
Before 1973, each state made its own decision on abortion rights
In 1973, a Supreme Court case known as “Roe v Wade” ruled in favour of “Jane Roe” and granted her the right to an abortion
The ruling of “Roe v Wade”
Overruled all anti-abortion laws in the US
Stated that women had the constitutional right to a legal abortion
Worked Example
Which of the following was the more important reason for changes in women’s lives in the decades after the Second World War?
Consumerism
Advancements in women’s rights
[12 marks]
Partial Answer:
The most important reason for the change in women’s lives after the Second World War was the advancements in women’s rights. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 made it illegal, in the United States, for men to be paid more than women for the same job. In addition, the “Roe v Wade” Supreme Court case of 1973 provided women with the right to legal abortions across the whole of the United States. This was the most important change to women’s lives because both laws gave all women in the United States greater equality and rights under the law. Whereas, consumerism only changed the lives of women who could afford the new products, such as middle-class women in the suburbs.
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