Transcript WOMEN'S HISTORY, 1960 - PRESENT

WOMEN'S HISTORY, 1960 - PRESENT
EUGENIA LANGAN
MATER ACADEMY CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL
HIALEAH GARDENS, FLORIDA
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
TODAY:
 WHAT LED TO THE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT OF THE 1960s
AND 1970s – AND HOW MUCH DID IT ACHIEVE?
 WHY DIDN'T THE ERA PASS?
BROAD:
WHICH REFORM MOVEMENT IN THE U.S. HAVE SUCCEEDED,
TO WHAT EXTENT, AND WHY?
REVIEW (20TH CENTURY)
 WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT, 1900-1920
(STARTED IN 1848 AT SENECA FALLS)
CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT, NATIONAL WOMEN'S
PARTY
1916 – PROTESTING WILSON'S REFUSAL TO
SUPPORT WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE
NWP AND OTHER
SUFFRAGISTS USED
NONVIOLENT TACTICS LATER
USED BY CIVIL RIGHTS
MOVEMENT (BUT GENERALLY
NOT CREDITED FOR IT!)
THESE INCLUDED HUNGER
STRIKES WHEN IMPRISONED
"The Stomach Tube"
"The sensation is most
painful," reported a victim in
1909. "The drums of the ears
seem to be bursting and there
is a horrible pain in the throat
and breast. The tube is pushed
down twenty inches; [it] must
go below the breastbone." The
prisoners were generally fed a
solution of milk and eggs.
WOMEN SERVED IN THE MILITARY AND WORKED IN
FACTORIES DURING WWI – STRONGER CLAIM TO
RIGHTS OF CITIZENS
NWP PICKETING THE WHITE HOUSE IN 1917
 19TH AMENDMENT – DRAFTED BY ELIZABETH CADY
STANTON AND SUSAN B. ANTHONY 1876 – FINALLY
PASSED BY CONGRESS 1919 AND RATIFIED 1920
RECALL: AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN GOT THE CONSTITUTIONAL
RIGHT TO VOTE IN 1870 (15TH AMENDMENT)
 ALICE PAUL, B.A.
SWATHMORE, PH.D. PENN, LL.B
(LAW DEGREE) (LL.B.)
WASHINGTON COLLEGE OF
LAW – BUT A WOMAN
COULDN’T PRACTICE LAW
THEN!
 PRESIDENT OF NWP – FELT
SUFFRAGE WASN'T ENOUGH.
 DRAFTED EQUAL RIGHTS
AMENDMENT (ERA) –
SUBMITTED TO CONGRESS
1923:
"MEN
AND WOMEN SHALL HAVE EQUAL RIGHTS THROUGHOUT
THE UNITED STATES AND EVERY PLACE SUBJECT TO ITS
JURISDICTION.” PROPOSED IN EVERY CONGRESS, DIDN'T PASS
CONGRESS UNTIL 1972 AND NEVER RATIFIED!
 1921: MARGARET
SANGER FOUNDED
AMERICAN BIRTH CONTROL
LEAGUE (TODAY PLANNED
PARENTHOOD
 BIRTH CONTROL
ALLOWED SOME WOMEN
(MOSTLY BOURGEOIS) TO
MORE CONTROL OVER
THEIR OWN BODIES.
 BUT IT WAS ILLEGAL IN
MANY STATES, AND WHERE
IT WAS LEGAL, ONLY FOR
MARRIED WOMEN
 BY 1928, 39% OF
ANNUAL COLLEGE
GRADUATES WERE
WOMEN
 BUT ONLY
SECRETARIAL, TEACHING
AND NURSING JOBS
WERE AVAILABLE TO
EDUCATED WOMEN
WWII – MILLIONS OF WOMEN WORKED IN
MUNITIONS FACTORIES AND SERVED IN MILITARY
 AFTER THE WAR – SENT HOME TO ENJOY THEIR
NEW APPLIANCES . . .
. . . AND HAVE BABIES!
COLLEGE GRADUATION RATE, 1960 – DOWN TO 30%
-- 60% OF WOMEN WHO ATTENDED COLLEGE
DROPPED OUT TO MARRY.
 THE HAPPY
HOUSEWIFE OF THE 1950s
 HIGH USE OF ALCOHOL
AND PRESCRIPTION
DRUGS
BUT MEN DRANK HEAVILY TOO – THE COCKTAIL
PARTY
GUESS WHO'S
CLEANING
UP?
BUT SHE'S
HAPPY ABOUT
IT, OF
COURSE!
 BETTY FRIEDAN, THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE, 1962 -BESTSELLER
 SMITH COLLEGE
GRADUATE
 "THE PROBLEM WITHOUT
A NAME" – THE TRAPPED
HOUSEWIFE"
 BASED ON
QUESTIONNAIRES HER
SMITH CLASSMATES
ANSWERED
 ARGUED WOMEN COULD
DO BOTH: HAVE FAMILIES
AND HAVE CAREERS
FEB. 4TH, 1921- FEB. 4TH, 2006
"THE PROBLEM THAT HAS NO NAME–WHICH IS
SIMPLY THE FACT THAT AMERICAN WOMEN ARE
KEPT FROM GROWING TO THEIR FULL HUMAN
CAPACITIES– IS TAKING A FAR GREATER TOLL
ON THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR
COUNTRY THAN ANY KNOWN DISEASE.
-- BETTY FRIEDAN
 1963: JFK'S COMMISSION ON THE
STATUS OF WOMEN DOCUMENTED
 EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION
AGAINST WOMEN: AVERAGE FEMALE
WORKER'S WAGES = 58.9 % OF
AVERAGE MALE WORKER’S
EARNINGS.
 LEGAL DISCRIMINATION:
DIVORCE, ALIMONY, CHILD SUPPORT
LAWS
 LACK OF RESOURCES FOR
WORKING MOTHERS
 1963: EQUAL PAY ACT – ILLEGAL TO PAY
WOMEN LESS THAN MEN FOR "EQUAL WORK" ON
THE SAME JOBS – BUT WHAT'S "EQUAL WORK"?
 1964: CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 OUTLAWS
EMPLOYMENT AND PUBLIC ACCOMODATION
DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF GENDER.
THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION
 1960: FDA APPROVED THE BIRTH CONTROL PILL
= THE PILL
 FIRST EASY AND RELIABLE CONTRACEPTIVE
 1965: GRISWOLD V. CONNECTICUT. SUPREME
COURT HELD CONSTITUTION IMPLIES A "RIGHT OF
PRIVACY," AND STATES CANNOT PROHIBIT MARRIED
WOMEN FROM BUYING CONTRACEPTIVE
 ALL AN UNMARRIED WOMAN HAD TO DO WAS BUY
A CHEAP WEDDING RING AT WOOLWORTH'S AND GO
TO THE DOCTOR USING "MRS." IN FRONT OF HER
NAME
 CONCERNED ABOUT OVERPOPULATION 
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT OF BIRTH CONTROL
 CHANGE IN SEXUAL MORES IN 1960s –
PREMARITAL SEX MORE OPEN (PERHAPS MORE
COMMON)
 THE PILL/ SEXUAL REVOLUTION WAS BOTH
LIBERATING (FEWER UNWANTED PREGNANCIES)
AND NOT LIBERATING (NOW MANY MEN TOOK
POSITION THAT EVERY WOMAN HAD A DUTY TO
HAVE SEX WITH THEM ON DEMAND AND HAD NO
EXCUSE NOT TO)
THE WOMEN'S LIBERATION
MOVEMENT – 1966 - © 1980.
 1966: NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR
WOMEN (NOW FOUNDED)
 FOUNDED BY BETTY FRIEDAN AND
OTHER OLDER MIDDLE-CLASS WOMEN
 BACKED ERA
 INITIALLY REFUSED TO SUPPORT
ABORTION, OR TAKE POSITIONS ON
RAPE AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN,
AND ALSO REFUSED MEMBERSHIP TO
"RADICAL" WOMEN
 BUT SUPPORTS ALL THAT TODAY
EXCEPT THE RADICALS (THERE ARE
NONE)
 1971: NATIONAL WOMEN'S POLITICAL
CAUCUS FOUNDED BY FRIEDAN, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES MEMBERS BELLA ABZUG
AND SHIRLEY CHISHOLM (AND OTHERS)
 OTHER FEMINISTS CAME OUT OF CIVIL RIGHTS
AND ANTI-WAR MOVEMENTS (COMPARE HOW
WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT CAME OUT OF
ABOLITIONIST MOVEMENT
 FLORYNCE
KENNEDY,
LAWYER AND
FOUNDER,
FEMINIST PARTY
"A WOMAN
WITHOUT A MAN
IS LIKE A FISH
WITHOUT A
BICYCLE."
 YOUNG
FEMINISTS
PROTESTING
THE 1968 MISS
AMERICA
PAGEANT
THROW THEIR
BRAS IN THE
"FREEDOM
TRASH CAN"
NO BRA
BURNING! A
RIGHT-WING
MYTH
BUT N.B. – WHY NOT BURN A BRA? IT'S NOT THE FLAG!
 BOSTON WOMEN'S
HEALTH COLLECTIVE, 1973
 MISCELLANEOUS NEW
LEFT GROUPS
SUPPORTED FEMINISM
MARCH IN NYC, 1971
 MS. MAGAZINE – 1973, GLORIA STEINEM, EDITOR
 1976: WOMEN AGAINST VIOLENCE IN
PORNOGRAPHY AND MEDIA FOUNDED, SAN
FRANCISCO
 1977: FIRST TAKE BACK THE NIGHT RALLY IN NYC
ANDREA
DWORKIN, ONE OF
THE FIRST, ALONG
WITH LAURA
LEDERER, TO
DRAW THE
CONNECTION
BETWEEN
PORNOGRAPHY
AND RAPE
 AND THE NUTS, INCLUDING
 VALERIE SOLANAS
 1968: THE SCUM
MANIFESTO (SOCIETY
FOR CUTTING UP MEN)
 SAME YEAR: SHOT
ANDY WARHOL
THE GAINS
 1972: TITLE IX OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT: BANS
GENDER DISCRIMINATION IN ANY EDUCATION
PROGRAM  WOMEN'S ATHLETIC TEAMS AT HIGH
SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES
 1972: CONGRESS PASSED THE ERA
"SECTION 1. EQUALITY OF RIGHTS UNDER THE LAW
SHALL NOT BE DENIED OR ABRIDGED BY THE UNITED
STATES OR BY ANY STATE ON ACCOUNT OF SEX.
SECTION 2. THE CONGRESS SHALL HAVE THE POWER
TO ENFORCE, BY APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION, THE
PROVISIONS OF THIS ARTICLE.
SECTION 3. THIS AMENDMENT SHALL TAKE EFFECT
TWO YEARS AFTER THE DATE OF RATIFICATION."
 HAD TO BE RATIFIED BY MARCH 22, 1979.
CONGRESS PURPORTED TO EXTEND DEADLINE UNTIL
JUNE 30, 1982.
 1973: FRONTIERO V. RICHARDSON. SUPREME
COURT REFUSED TO HOLD THAT WOMEN ARE
PROTECTED CLASS UNDER 14TH AMENDMENT –
BECAUSE IT THOUGHT THE ERA WOULD BE
RATIFIED
 1973: ROE V. WADE AKA "THE CANCER ON THE
BODY OF THE LAW." SUPREME COURT HELD
THAT SUBSTANTIVE DUE PROCESS RIGHT OF
PRIVACY INCLUDES RIGHT TO ABORTION
 MANY ( NOT ALL) FEMINISTS SUPPORTED
ABORTION RIGHTS (SOME STATES HAD
ALREADY LEGALIZED ABORTION
 BUT REPUBLICAN MEN HAVE USED THIS AS
POLITICAL ISSUE EVER SINCE
 FIRSTS:
SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR
SUPREME COURT, 1981
GERALDINE FERRARO
DEM. VP NOMINEE, 1984
AND TODAY
 SINCE 1982, MORE WOMEN THAN MEN
GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE: > 60% OF ALL
DEGREES AWARDED GO TO WOMEN
 AND YET: AVERAGE FEMALE PAY = 78% OF
AVERAGE MALE PAY
 EVEN IN THE PROFESSIONS MEN EARN
SLIGHTLY MORE THAN WOMEN ON THE AVERAGE
 THREE WOMEN SUPREME COURT JUSTICES
 JUSTICES SOTOMAYOR AND KAGAN ARE
UNMARRIED AND HAVE NO CHILDREN
 JUSTICE GINSBURG HAS ONE DAUGHTER WHO WAS
GROWN BEFORE JUSTICE GINSBURG FIRST BECAME A
JUDGE – BEFORE THAT SHE WAS A PROFESSOR
 HILLARY
CLINTON, FIRST
SERIOUS WOMAN
PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATE
 SPEAKING OF THE
18 MILLION VOTES
SHE GOT IN THE 2008
DEMOCRATIC
PRIMARY, SHE SAID,
"THERE ARE ABOUT
18 MILLION CRACKS
IN THE GLASS
CEILING."
BUT HOW DID SHE CRACK IT?
SHE MARRIED A MAN WHO BECAME PRESIDENT!
WHY DIDN'T THE ERA PASS
DO WOMEN HAVE EQUAL RIGHTS TODAY?