In the following essay I will try to examine the role and importance of the National Organization for Women in the Women’s Liberation Movement as well as their long-running fight for the Equal Rights Amendment.
Terms such as Great Society, Civil Rights Movement, Women’s Liberation, Youth Counterculture, New Left, Rock ´n´ Roll, Woodstock, the landing on the moon, etc. characterize the turbulent Sixties.
The Sixties are often described as the “decade of discontent” but also as the “decade of peace, love and harmony”. A major aspect of the 1960s was the revival of the feminist movement. In 1966 the National Organization for Women was founded, which grew to the largest organization of feminist activist in the United States and had a big influence on the development of the status of women.
In the following essay I will try to examine the role and importance of the National Organization for Women in the Women’s Liberation Movement as well as their long-running fight for the Equal Rights Amendment.
In Part I, I will deal with the National Organization for Women in general. I will take a look at the history of the organization and at their goals and actions.
Their long-winded fight for the so-called Equal Rights Amendment will be examined in Part II. I will try to explore the history behind the ERA and then primarily focus on the ratification process in the second half of the twentieth century. In the conclusion I will finally try to summarize the most important results.
The new feminist movement of the 1960s was split into two types of feminist groups: a formal and an informal branch. The formal branch included the National Organization for Women (NOW), the Women’s Equity Action League (WEAL) as well as the National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC) whereas the informal branch included so called consciousness-raising groups. The latter tried to attack sexism and discrimination in everyday life. The formal branch worked for changes in legislation and tried to enforce equal rights laws, “[…] such as the Equal Pay Act of 1963, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 banning sex discrimination, and Title IX of the Higher Education Acts of 1969 and 1972, which prohibited sex discrimination in such matters as school sports programs.” (Giele: 1995, S. 169)
The National Organization for Woman (NOW) was founded on June 30, 1966 in Washington, D.C. by reformers such as union activists, members of state commissions on the status of women or professional women.
Table of Contents
1.) Introduction
2.) Part I: The National Organization for Women
2.1. The history of the NOW
2.2. The goals and actions of the NOW
3.) Part II: The ERA
3.1. The history behind the ERA
3.2. The desire for equal rights
3.3. Proponents versus opponents
3.4. The fight for the ERA and the results
3.5. Why ERA failed
3.6. Recent work on the ERA
4.) Conclusion
Research Objectives and Focus Areas
This academic paper examines the role and significance of the National Organization for Women (NOW) within the Women's Liberation Movement, while simultaneously analyzing the historical efforts and subsequent challenges surrounding the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) during the mid-to-late twentieth century.
- The historical development and organizational foundation of the National Organization for Women.
- Core objectives, lobbying strategies, and political mobilization efforts of NOW.
- The historical context and legal milestones of the Equal Rights Amendment campaign.
- Analysis of the socio-political arguments between proponents and opponents of the ERA.
- Factors contributing to the eventual failure of the ERA ratification process.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1. The history behind the ERA
Over many centuries, women had to suffer from their exclusion from full participation in the educational, political and economic life. The Constitution mainly covered rights for white males whereas it excluded women and denied them most legal rights. “In general they could not vote, own property, keep their own wages, or even have custody of their children.”19 In the 19th century, the first wave of women’s struggle for equality emerged with the first Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls in 1848, NY. The adoption of the 14th and 15th amendment was a first watershed in women’s struggle for equality because it stimulated women to fight for their rights.20
The 14th amendment, adopted in 1868 guaranteed that all persons born in the USA and all naturalized citizens are US citizens. Thus, all citizens had the right to equal protection under the law.21 In the second section, which determined the number of U.S. Representatives in Congress, the wording "male citizens" showed that women were excluded in the Constitution.22
The 15th amendment, passed in 1870, guaranteed US citizens the right to vote, which cannot be denied or abridged on the grounds of race, color or previous condition of servitude. Thus, it extended the right to vote to all men, but women were excluded. These two amendments stimulated women’s agitation for their fight for suffrage.23
Summary of Chapters
1.) Introduction: This chapter introduces the societal context of the 1960s and outlines the study's goal to explore the impact of NOW and the history of the ERA.
2.) Part I: The National Organization for Women: This section details the origins of the organization, its formal structure, and its primary mission to achieve social and legal equality.
2.1. The history of the NOW: This section covers the formation of the organization in 1966 and the influential factors that led to its establishment.
2.2. The goals and actions of the NOW: This chapter highlights the organization's focus on lobbying, political mobilization, and its stance on labor and societal roles.
3.) Part II: The ERA: This part analyzes the primary legislative concern of the feminist movement during the 1960s and 1970s.
3.1. The history behind the ERA: This section traces the exclusion of women from the Constitution and early suffrage efforts leading to the drafting of the ERA.
3.2. The desire for equal rights: This chapter examines changing attitudes toward women's roles and the push for equality in the workplace.
3.3. Proponents versus opponents: This section explores the ideological conflict between feminist supporters and conservative groups regarding the ERA.
3.4. The fight for the ERA and the results: This chapter tracks the legislative progress of the ERA in Congress and the state ratification process.
3.5. Why ERA failed: This section analyzes the reasons for the amendment's defeat, including political strategies and organized resistance.
3.6. Recent work on the ERA: This chapter looks at how NOW continued its efforts through committees and updated strategies in the 1990s.
4.) Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes the long-term impact of the fight for the ERA on judicial and social progress for women.
Keywords
National Organization for Women, NOW, Equal Rights Amendment, ERA, Feminism, Women's Liberation Movement, Alice Paul, Phyllis Schlafly, Ratification, Sex Discrimination, Civil Rights, Legislation, Suffrage, 1960s, Political Activism.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper focuses on the role of the National Organization for Women (NOW) in the 1960s and 1970s, specifically regarding their campaign for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).
What are the primary themes covered?
The main themes include the history of American feminist movements, legislative attempts to secure equal constitutional rights, organizational strategies of activists, and the political opposition faced by proponents of gender equality.
What is the main research objective?
The research aims to examine how NOW influenced the American political landscape and to evaluate the historical reasons why the ERA failed to achieve ratification despite significant public support.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The study utilizes a historical and descriptive analysis based on contemporary documents, secondary historical sources, and legislative records to trace the development of the ERA campaign.
What does the main body of the work address?
The main body is divided into two parts: the development and goals of NOW, and a chronological exploration of the ERA's legislative history, the debate surrounding it, and the factors leading to its defeat.
What are the key terms that define this work?
Essential keywords include NOW, Equal Rights Amendment, feminism, sex discrimination, legislative ratification, and political activism.
Who was the central figure in drafting the ERA?
The paper identifies suffragist leader Alice Paul as the primary figure who drafted the original version of the ERA and initiated the long campaign for its ratification.
Why did the ERA ultimately fail to be ratified?
The failure is attributed to a combination of southern legislative hostility, organizational strategy problems among supporters, and the effective fear-mongering campaigns led by right-wing activists like Phyllis Schlafly.
- Quote paper
- Jacqueline Herrmann (Author), 2004, The National Organization for Women and the fight for the Equal Rights Amendment, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/86905
