Women's Rights Movement Notes

The Women's Rights Movement in the United States began in the 1840s and concluded around 1920.
A key milestone in this movement was the achievement of women's suffrage, culminating in the right to vote.
Many women felt that obtaining the right to vote was synonymous with achieving equality.

After women secured the right to vote in 1920, there was a widespread perception that equality had been achieved.
However, legal rights did not equate to true equality in social, professional, or economic spheres.
The 1950s highlighted continued gender inequality, with societal expectations limiting women's roles primarily to housekeeping and motherhood.

Women were expected to be housewives, with societal norms suggesting this role was preferable and fulfilling.
Societal views:
- A woman's working outside the home was often seen as unfortunate, implying her husband's inability to support them financially.
- Girls were socialized to aspire to stay home, while boys were encouraged to provide for the family.
Working women faced stigma and feelings of isolation, often feeling uncomfortable in settings where most women conformed to traditional roles.

Job opportunities for women were limited and often characterized as "dead-end jobs," which offered little chance for advancement and were typically low-paying.
Common jobs included:
- Secretary: jobs often specifically oriented towards administrative tasks, emphasizing skills like typing.
- Maid or domestic help: largely unregulated and low-paying positions.
- Seamstress: at times a creative outlet that nonetheless had limited economic upside.
- Nurse: one of the few respected professions for women, based on the stereotype that women are naturally nurturing.
Female teachers were prevalent in primary education, while male representation dominated higher education faculty due to prestige and pay.

Women earned approximately 82-85% of what men earned for the same work as of the latest statistics.
The reasons behind lower pay for women include:
- Women are often seen as supplemental income earners, diminishing the perceived necessity for equal pay.
- Pregnancy and maternity leaves lead employers to perceive hiring women as less desirable, labeling them as inconvenient.
- The male-dominated workforce determines salary scales, often favoring men over women in wage offerings.

Betty Friedan's 1963 book "The Feminine Mystique" articulated the dissatisfaction many women felt with traditional roles, catalyzing a resurgence of the women's rights movement known as feminism.
Formation of the National Organization for Women (NOW), founded by Betty Friedan among others, aimed to fight for women's rights through organized advocacy.
A significant goal was to pass the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which aimed to ensure constitutionally guaranteed equality in several sectors including pay and job opportunities.

Opposition to the ERA included conservative voices like Phyllis Schlafly, who argued that it could disrupt family structures and child-rearing practices by encouraging women to work outside the home.
Concerns focused on child welfare, suggesting that daycare could not replicate the nurturing of a mother.
Ultimately, the ERA failed to be ratified, falling short by three states.

The feminist movement did not die after the ERA's failure; it persisted through the 1960s and 1970s with various demonstrations.
Symbolism surrounding the movement included:
- The burning of bras as a protest against societal constraints on women, symbolizing the desire for emancipation.
- Protests against beauty pageants, viewing them as reinforcing harmful beauty standards rather than recognizing women’s capabilities.
The movement often faced internal challenges related to the image and tactics employed by feminists, including resistance from some women to embrace conventional beauty standards.