Second Wave of Feminism Effects on Future Decades

Ally Stein
History 152, Professor Brownwell
May 1, 2014







2
Women have been fighting for equal rights for decades, but in 1966 they formed the first
public organization to focus on public realm. This organization is called the National
Organization for Women, with its leader, Betty Friedan. Through attentive goals in mind, NOW
pursued the equality of women and men. The long-term effect of this organization would not be
a fail but yet another stepping stone to complete equality of women. Being the most far-reaching
impact on American society during the Civil Rights Movement, NOW did successfully altered
the attitudes that society had against women within the work force, legislation, and in homes at
the time but left more actions for women to progress in the following decades.
NOWs main purpose was to insure women equality in the societys eye. Categorized as
the second wave of feminism, NOW was dedicated to the proposition that women are human
beings, who, like all other people in society, must have the chance to develop their fullest human
potential.
1
In the following decades of the 1990s, NOW was the inspiration behind the Beijing
Declaration on Women in 1995. The Declaration on Women illustrated the growing importance
of nongovernment organization, with its leader, Hillary Clinton. As defined in the Declaration,
inequalities between women and men have persisted and major obstacles still remain.
2

Although the efforts in the Declaration were to make womens right equal around the world, the
statements in the Declaration make it apparent that NOW was not entirely successful within the
United States. The Declarations objectives are parallel to those in the NOW document, such as
in the workforce, legislation, and homes.

1
Friedan, Betty, "The National Organization for Womens 1966 Statement of Purpose," 1966, in
Voices of Freedom: A Documentary History, ed. by Eric Foner, New York: W. W. Norton, 2014,
p. 291.
2
Fourth World conference on Women, Beijing Declaration, 1995, in Voices of Freedom: A
Documentary History, ed. by Eric Foner, New York: W. W. Norton, 2014, p. 331.

3
NOW approaches the inequality of women in the work force through technology and
money. Technology at this time had become a part of daily routines and reduced most of the
productivity chores woman that would perform in the house and at mass production industries.
3

Within this new industrial revolution woman were unable to continue their tradition jobs within
the house. Along with that, the jobs that woman did have in factories were also taken over by
industrial machines. Women had noticed society conformed them back into the typical ideal
women job, that of in the house. Now women were concentrated on the bottom of the job
ladder and earned 60% of what men did.
4
Which can hence the frustration of women because
they were 51% of the population at the time.
5
The cultural value of women remained the same.
Correspondingly, women in the 1995s still were culturally the same with jobs and money.
During the Declaration on Women, they examined and promoted equal economic
independence. This meant that women wanted to have the same job offers as men and the same
salary. Furthermore, the women address the changes in the economic structures that allowed
them equal opportunities as men. The Declaration was 29 years after NOW was created, and the
work force for women was still imaged in the household, nowhere else. The Declaration drives
further into the expansion of job opportunities and the persistent burden of women poverty at
the time.
6
As a result of women poverty, the Declaration advocated for women to have a basic
education. In contrast, NOW did not mention education as an issue, but both articles did mention
women in the legislation aspect of society.

3
Betty Friedan, The National Organization
4
Ibid.
5
Ibid.
6
Fourth World Conference p. 333
4
NOW pronounces that women should be part of the decision-making mainstream of
American politics.
7
Meanwhile men were taking over the legislation, women were
insignificantly not represented. Women compromised less than 1% of federal judges; less than
4% of all lawyers; and 7% of all doctors.
8
Now these women were not advocating that they
wanted to have majority of these percentages but yet at least more than what was present.
Similarly, the Declaration had a Platform for Action. The Platform of Action required
implementation of the commitment from local and nation government to take priority action for
the placement and advancement of women in the legislation.
9
Once again, the NOW did
advocate for more inclusion of women in the government but the Declaration proceeds to go
further with this idea. The reoccurring theme is that NOW presented objectives that women
wanted, but the Declaration takes each objective further and more in depth, which in turn
accomplishes more. The last theme that is present in both documents is marriage issues with men
in the homes.
The home was always a womans territory, but the women themselves did not like that
image. The NOW argued that women should not have to choose marriage and motherhood. They
argued that each woman had the unique responsibility of herself.
10
Thus, NOW mentions a
possible innovation of child-care centers so women would not have to retire from their job
completely, but yet the centers would take care of their child. With that, a true marriage and
partnership means sharing the responsibilities of home and children and of the economic burdens
between the husband and wife.
11
Similarly, the women of the Declaration empowered equal

7
Ibid.
8
Ibid, 293.
9
Ibid.
10
Ibid.
11
Ibid, 294.
5
opportunities and sharing responsibility within the house. Differentially, the Declaration
mentions the woman being in charge of her own body and that the woman should be able to
control all aspects of her health, in particular fertility. When mentioning fertility, these women
compassionately felt that was most important aspect to their empowerment. Additionally, the
Declaration remarks that men should participate fully in actions towards equality.
12

The comparison between the two articles shows the long-term attitude change that the
NOW progressed that lead into the development of the Beijing Declaration on Women. The two
articles share many cultural values on how men and women were not equal throughout decades.
But the NOW was not a lasting success but a powerful introduction to what women were going
to do in the future. The NOW women were bold and had the correct idea of what social
structures to endeavor, but the Declaration women pursued the ideas even further. There were
not any contradictions that came with time but yet more support for womens rights. Overall the
success of the NOW allowed the Declaration to go even further and complete the equality
women ultimately aspired to have.









12
Idib.
6



Bibliography
Friedan, Betty, "The National Organization for Womens 1966 Statement of Purpose," 1966, in
Voices of Freedom: A Documentary History, ed. by Eric Foner, New York: W. W.
Norton, 2014, p. 291.

Fourth World conference on Women, Beijing Declaration, 1995, in Voices of Freedom: A
Documentary History, ed. by Eric Foner, New York: W. W. Norton, 2014, p. 331.