"the feminist movement really dates from 1848, when
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Coffin Mott, and
others, in a women's convention at Seneca Falls, N.Y.,
issued a declaration of independence for women,
demanding full legal equality, full educational and
commercial opportunity, equal compensation, the right
to collect wages, and the right to vote" (Fact Monster)
19th Amendment (Right to Vote) Passed
1960s
Feminist Activism
NOW (National Org. of Women)
ERA (Equal Rights Amendment
Ms. Magazine
Literature
Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan
Protests
"In the 1960s
feminism experienced
a rebirth, especially in
the United States. The
National Organization
for Women (NOW),
formed in 1966, had
over 400 local
chapters by the early
1970s" (Fact Monster)
"federally supported child care
centers, equal pay for women,
the occupational upgrading of
women, the removal of all legal
and social barriers to education,
political influence, and economic
power for women." (Fact
Monster)
" Nevertheless, the
movement begun in the
1960s resulted in a large
number of women moving
into the workplace (59.8% of
civilian women over age 16
were working in 1997,
compared to 37.7% in 1960)
and in broad changes in
society." (Fact Monster)
Intro: What is feminism?
""Feminism has effected many
changes in Western society,
including women's suffrage;
broad employment for women at
more equitable wages ("equal
pay for equal work"); the right to
initiate divorce proceedings and
the introduction of "no fault"
divorce; the right of women in
almost all countries to exercise a
degree of control over their own
... medical decisions... As Western
society has become increasingly
accepting of feminist principles,
many of these issues, perceived
as radical in the 19th century, are
now part of mainstream political
thought, such as the right of
women to vote, own land, and
choose their own marital
partners, or decide not to marry.
Almost no one in Western
societies today questions these
rights."
"Women
traditionally
had been
regarded as
inferior to
men physically
and
intellectually."
(Fact Monster)
Women are equal to men.
Today
2009 Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act
"President Obama signed the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay
Restoration Act, which allows victims of pay discrimination
to file a complaint with the government against their
employer within 180 days of their last paycheck. Previously,
victims (most often women) were only allowed 180 days
from the date of the first unfair paycheck. This Act is
named after a former employee of Goodyear who alleged
that she was paid 15–40% less than her male counterparts,
which was later found to be accurate." (2009) (InfoPlease)
""Modern feminist thought still focuses on the
destruction of societally expected gender norms and
behaviors. It still strives for equality and justice of all
people in the eyes of the law... " (NPR)