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Not Satisfied with the Future
In 1957, Betty Friedan created a survey for women who had graduated from college, asking them if having higher education is harmful. Almost all of the women responded that they felt unhappy with their lives after they graduated. She wrote a book called The Feminine Mystique,about how women feel trapped by domestic life. After it was was published, many women felt inspired. They wanted to make a change, so they demanded that women are treated fairly in workplaces and have a variety of jobs. -
Equal Pay for All
Female workers were paid lower than male workers. In 1960, full-time working women were paid 40% less than working men. President Kennedy responded to this issue by announcing the Equal Pay Act, which he signed in 1963. This act was an important first step into achieving equality. -
Equal Employment has been Established
Female members wanted to include African American women into the civil rights of African Americans. Representative Howard Smith of Virginia declined this suggestion and Representative Martha Griffiths of Michigan declared that they should be included. This right was passed in 1964 and as a result, this act also created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). -
Making a Change
Government officials were not fighting against gender discrimination. Sonia Pressman of the EEOC explained why the agency did not respond to their needs. In 1966, a group of women got together to explain the issue. They came up with an idea to commend the EEOC. The conference rejected this idea. The group then decided to form a women’s rights group, known as the National Organization for Women (NOW). The organization tried to influence officials to ensure social and economic equality for women. -
Women Activism
Gloria Steinem, a journalist, was a women inspired to activism during the 1960’s. She enjoyed reading and political activism. She began to write novels for women. She mentioned in her books that women could create a powerful movement for women’s causes. In 1971, she founded the National Women’s Political Caucus to encourage women to run for office. The next year, she became the editor for a new magazine called Ms. She has written several books and helped found many organizations for women.