Question

what are some of the social conditions that changed for children, women and families as a result of women's activism in the 20th century? why do you think women were able to enact change despite their presumed lack of influence and inability to vote at that time in history?

Answer 1

Women's rights movement, also known as women's liberation movement, international social movement, largely based in the United States, which pursued equal rights and opportunities for women in the 1960s and 1970s and greater personal freedom for women. This coincided and is known as part of feminism's "second wave." While the 19th and early 20th century first-wave feminism concentrated on women's legal rights, especially the right to vote (see women's suffrage), the women's rights movement's second-wave feminism expanded on every aspect of women's experience— including politics, jobs, family, and sexuality.

The lives of women in developed countries changed dramatically after World War II. Household technology eased homemade pressures, life expectancy increased dramatically, and service sector growth opened up thousands of non-physical strength-dependent jobs. Given these socio-economic changes, cultural attitudes (especially with regard to women's work) and legal precedents also entrenched sexual inequality.

Originally, Friedan's book-energized women approached government leaders and members of the community who had lobbied the federal government for equal pay and protection from discrimination in jobs. In June 1966 they had come to the conclusion that there were insufficient friendly requests. Women will need their own national pressure group— a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) counterpart for blacks. The National Women's Organization (NOW) has been born with this.

The company hasn't been an instant success. NOW had just 1,035 members by the end of its second year and was plagued by political differences. When the organization tried to write a Bill of Rights for Women, it found consensus on six provisions that were key to ensuring women's equality: implementation of laws prohibiting discrimination in employment; maternity leave rights; childcare centers that could allow mothers to work; tax deductions for childcare expenses; equal and unsegregated education; and equal opportunities for poor women to work in training.

Well-dressed professionals convinced that women needed to negotiate with men could not align with wild-haired activists whose New Left experience had sown them on polite discourse with "the enemy." NOW leadership seemed more comfortable lobbying lawmakers in Washington or negotiating with NASA about excluding women from the astronaut program, while young upstarts favored chaos. The members of the NOW were seeking change. A revolt was planned by the more conservative women.