7: Third Wave Feminism, Modern America

Third Wave Feminism

• Emerges from 90’s younger feminists push back against the idea that feminism speaks for one group

• Emphasizes diversity, women of color, LGBTQ+

Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

• Bill passed in 2009 by Obama

• Restored workers rights to challenge pay discrimination

• Each discriminatory paycheck resets the 180-day filing period, women can sue once they discover unequal pay

• Named after Lily Ledbetter, supervisor who worked nearly 20 years when she found out she was being paid significantly lower than men doing the sameshi

The Year of the Woman 1992

• Political shift when a record number of women were elected to the US congress

• Four women won Senate seats in one year

Women Who Have Served on the Supreme Court

• Sandra Day O’Connor

• Ruth Bader Ginsburg

• Sonia Sotomayor

• Elena Kagan

• Amy Coney Barret

• Ketanji Brown Jackson

Changes in the American Family since 1970

• Fewer marriages, later marriages

• Rising divorce rates

• Increase in single parent homes

• More married women in the workforce

• Shift in gender roles

• Two-income households

The Second Shift

• When women work a paid job then come home and perform a full load of unpaid housework and childcare known as “the second shift”

Sandra Day O’Connor

• First woman ever appointed to the US supreme court

• Crucial role in upholding Roe V Wade

Hilary Clinton

• First lady 1993-2001 who took active public role in political issues especially healthcare reform breaking the “supportive but silent” First Lady mold

• Target of strong criticism from conservatives who opposed women taking leadership roles

• Ran for president in 2016

Womens March 2017

• Massive national protest that took place the day after Donald Trumps inauguration

• Sparked by fears that the new administration threatened women’s rights, reproductive freedom, LGBTQ rights, immigrant rights, and civil rights we already won

• Largest single day protests in history

Historical “Firsts” for Women — 2018 Elections

• First time high number of women elected to US congress

• More diverse women elected

Images of Women in the Media — Miss Representation

• Documentary that shows how mainstream media created harmful. and unrealistic images of women, shaping how girls and women see themselves and how society views women’s value

• Key message: Women are often shown as sexualized, silent, supporting characters, defined by beauty

Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)

• Federal law passed in 1994 designed to protect women from violence, especially domestic abuse, sexual assault, and stalking

National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center

• National Native-led org that works to end violence against Indigenous Women

• Advocates for Native nations’ right to protect their own women through their own laws

• Focuses on issues where Native women face high rates of domestic violence, assault, and disappearances

#Metoo

• A movement against sexual harassment and sexual assault that became globally visible in 2017

• Hashtag that went viral, millions of people worldwide shared their experiences with sexual harassment, assault, and workplace power abuses

Obergefell v. Hodges

• US Supreme Court case that ruled Constitution guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry, 2015

• Said 14th amendment protects marriage as a right for everyone

• Required to all 50 states

The Pill

• Birth control pill approved in 1960 that allowed women to prevent pregnancy through hormonal contraception

• Women can have sex without fear of getting pregnant

Roe v. Wade

• 1973 US Supreme Court decision that recognized abortion as a constitutional right under the right to privacy

• Established states couldn’t ban abortion in early pregnancy

Dobbs v. Jackson 2022

• Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade

• Held that the constitution does not guarantee a right to abortion; returned abortion law to each state

Phyllis Schlafly

• Conservative activist who became the national leader of the movement against the Equal rights Amendment (ERA) in the 70’s

• Argued ERA would harm American Women by removing protections they had under traditional gender roles

• Founded and led STOP ERA org

STOP ERA

• Stop Taking Our Privileges Anti-ERA campaign

• Led by Phyllis Schlafly and argued ERA would take away women’s privileges

  • exemption from military draft

  • alimony protections

  • gender-based labor laws

  • traditional family roles

• Tactics: Grassroots organizing, church networks, conservative messaging

• Impact: Major reason ERA failed to be ratified, strengthened the New Right

National Domestic Workers Alliance (NWDA)

• Modern org of domestic workers (nannies, caregivers, housekeepers) fighting for fair labor standards

• Women’s labor, especially of color, underpaid and undervalued