4.3

• What household innovation in the 1950s and 60s saved women time and required them to work to afford it?

  Household appliances
• How did the contraceptive pill impact women's choices in the 1950s and 60s?

  It allowed women to plan education and career around having children
• In what year did all states allow unmarried women to use contraception?

  1972
• Which protest movements influenced women's rights in the 1950s and 60s?

  The Black civil rights movement and the hippies
• What cultural shift in the 1960s influenced female teenagers to challenge traditional attitudes?

  The greater freedom of the 'swinging 60s'
• Who was Eleanor Roosevelt and what did she do for women's rights?

  She was the First Lady who held press conferences for female reporters and advocated for women's employment
• What was the purpose of the commission established by JFK in 1963?

  To report on the status of women and highlight their second-class status in employment
• What percentage of doctors and lawyers were women in the 1960s?

  4% of doctors and 7% of lawyers
• What did the Equal Pay Act of 1963 accomplish?

  It made it illegal to pay people differently for doing the same job
• Who is credited with starting the women's movement with her book 'The Feminine Mystique'?

  Betty Friedan
• What was the main message of 'The Feminine Mystique'?

  That there was more to life than being a housewife and mother
• What was the purpose of the National Organisation for Women (NOW)?

  To put pressure on the government to give women more rights
• What were the aims of the National Organisation for Women (NOW)?

  1. Equal Rights Amendment
  2. Enforce Law Banning Sex Discrimination in Employment
  3. Maternity Leave Rights
  4. Child Day Care Centers
  5. Equal Job Training Opportunities
  6. The Right of Women to Control their Reproductive Lives (abortion)
• How many members did NOW have by 1970?

  40,000 members
• What was the criticism of NOW's methods by more extreme campaigners?

  They were too moderate and progress was too slow
• How did the Women’s Liberation Movement differ from NOW?

  • More radical and sought fundamental changes
  • Members were known as feminists
  • Engaged in more active protests
• What actions did extreme feminists take to protest in the 1960s?

  They held sit-ins, burned bras, makeup, and protested against the Miss America beauty contest
• What was the impact of the negative publicity received by the Women’s Liberation Movement?

  It led many groups to try a different approach and focus on local issues
• What was the legal status of abortion in the USA in 1960?

  Abortion was illegal throughout the USA
• What was the significance of the Roe v Wade case in 1973?

  It ruled that abortion laws broke a woman's constitutional right to privacy
• What was the reaction of the women's movement to the Roe v Wade ruling?


  They saw it as a huge victory
• What type of backlash did the women's movement face after the Roe v Wade ruling?

  An anti-feminist backlash with the formation of anti-abortion protest groups
• What were some reasons women opposed the women's movement?

  They believed in traditional roles, objected to extreme demands, and thought NOW only helped middle-class white women
• Who was Phyllis Schlafly and what was her stance on the Equal Rights Amendment?


  She was an influential opponent who wanted to prevent its passage
• What were Phyllis Schlafly's reasons for opposing the Equal Rights Amendment?

  She believed it would negatively impact family life and women's rights
• What was the outcome of Schlafly's campaign against the Equal Rights Amendment?

  It delayed the ratification of the amendment until 1982
• What were some victories achieved by the Women’s Movement?

  • Equal Pay Act (1963)
  • Civil Rights Act (1964)
  • Women allowed to compete in national athletics championships (1969)
  • Right to abortion (Roe v Wade)
  • 1972 Educational Amendment Act
  • 1974 Equal Credit Opportunity Act
  • Increased acceptance of women in careers
• What were the limitations faced by the Women’s Movement despite its victories?

  • Ongoing job discrimination
  • Poor enforcement of the Civil Rights Act
  • Difficulty proving discrimination in courts
  • Pay disparity for female athletes
  • Defeat of the Equal Rights Amendment
  • Opposition from many women
  • Low representation of women in management
  • Equal pay not realized