The Feminist Movement (1960s)

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Did the changes in women's working lives after WW2 last into the post-war period?
No. The 'American dream' ideal, consumer culture and the growth of suburban areas all encouraged women to adopt what were seen at the time as 'traditional family roles'.
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How many women worked?
- By 1960, women made up around half of the workforce.
- Earning their own income provided a new sense of independence for many women.
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What was the feminist movement?
In the 1960s and 1970s, the idea of a woman's role being limited to a housewife and mother was challenged by a strong feminist movement, which campaigned for women's rights and equality.
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What did the 1963 Presidential Commission on the Status of Women report?
-Women earned ~60% less than men for the same job
~95% of managers were men - the majority of women's work was part-time and with limited responsibility
-Well-paid jobs, such as lawyers and doctors, were mostly done by men
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When did the feminist movement develop and why?
- Building on the success and methods of the civil rights movement, the feminist movement developed in the late 1960s.
- Activists used a range of methods to advocate for women’s rights.
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Who was Betty Friedan?
Betty Friedan became a key leader in the feminist movement. In 1963, her influential book The Feminine Mystique was published.
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What was the National Organisation for Women (NOW)?
- Set up by Friedan and other activists in 1966
- Worked to achieve equal wages for women and men in the same roles
- Tried to get laws passed to ensure equality + used legal action in the courts to win discrimination cases.
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What else did the NOW advocate for?
- Childcare provision for working mothers
- The right to paid maternity leave
- Legalised abortion.
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What were some differences between the NOW and other activists?
- NOW was one of a number of branches within the feminist movement.
- The members of NOW were mainly middle-class and middle-aged women.
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Differences contd.
- Other activists focused on confronting
patriarchy as the root of women’s inequality.
- They wanted freedom from men's control and oppression, rather than just legal equality.
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What did this movement became known as and who did it particularly appeal to?
- This group became known as the women’s liberation movement, or women’s lib.
- It especially appealed to younger women who often wanted to take direct action.
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Examples of the women's lib's actions
activists protested at the 1968 Miss America beauty pageant, arguing that events like this exploited and degraded women
women’s liberationists held meetings to give women spaces to explore how and why they were exploited
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

How many women worked?

Back

- By 1960, women made up around half of the workforce.
- Earning their own income provided a new sense of independence for many women.

Card 3

Front

What was the feminist movement?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What did the 1963 Presidential Commission on the Status of Women report?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

When did the feminist movement develop and why?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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