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Baby Boom
The baby boom from 1946 to 1964 caused women's identities as wives and mothers to be reinforced. But many women started to shy away from this norm and decided to stay in the workforce instead of being locked in their house taking care of their kids. -
Women In Television
In the 1950s television was very big. Many shows aired shows based on the normal middle-class American household. But in 1951 the show I Love Lucy premiered. The show was very important because Lucy wasn't a typical housewife which was normally what was shown on television. The show showed her pursuing other interests other than being a mom which caused controversy. This began the conversation on challenging society's expectations of women. -
Approval of Birth Control Pill
In 1960, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the birth control pill which led to women being free from the restrictions of pregnancy and child-bearing. This also gave women more opportunities to work, go to college, and delay marriage and also started to loosen the stereotype that women were strictly meant to care for the home and children. -
President Commission on the Status of Women
President John F. Kennedy issued an executive order establishing the President's Commission on the Status of Women. He appointed former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to chair the commission. This meant they would investigate questions regarding women's equality in education, the workplace, and under the law. -
The equal pay act passed
The Equal Pay Act aimed to abolish wage discrimination against women. It was established in order to advise the President on the issues that still concerned the status of women such as discrimination and the fact that employers were legally able to pay women less than men for doing the same job.