Vietnam, the 1960s, and the rise of conservatism.
The 1960s and 1970s witnessed the rise of women’s movements. They were categorized into radical and liberal movements. Their views differed from one another, bringing in the division of the movements. However, they all aimed at abolishing gender discrimination in their working areas and at home. This paper seeks to analyze the goals, accomplishments, and failures of the women’s movements. The different views between the radical and liberal movements and the arguments made by opposers of the liberation movement have also been discussed.
The women’s movements had goals, among them obtaining abortion rights. They reasoned that women should be given the power to dominate their reproductive lives. They also demanded child care, where they suggested that child health care centers be operated for twenty-four hours. The feminists wanted the government to pass laws on equivalent education opportunities as the male gender (Wilson and James 136). They campaigned against discrimination based on sex in working areas. In a nutshell, the feminist felt that it was time for women to enjoy equivalent opportunities and freely make their own choices.
The women’s movement faced opposition from religious people against the feminist’s campaign on abortion and the need to teach sex education in government schools. The conservatives of religion also opposed the demands for pills associated with birth control, which hindered procreation (Critchlow and Stachecki 225). They were also against the rampant sexual images that were used in advertisements and the prominence of pornography. Some women’s groups also opposed the movement’s campaign on the amendment of equal rights, including Phyllis Sclafly.
The radical and liberal feminists’ views differed because the radicals pressed matters that were being avoided by the liberal feminists, for example, lesbianism and abortion. In the liberation movements, rape cases were often ignored, and they required a witness. A husband could not be charged for raping the wife (Rosen 213). However, with the radical feminists, they viewed rape in marriage as legalized rape. Besides, radical women had different reasoning for a woman’s beauty, such as being sex objects.
In 1972, Phyllis Schlafly formed a movement to halt the amendment of equal rights to oppose the women’s liberation movement. The activist argued that a family is the society’s primary unit and incorporates Christian customs. Schlafly added that it is in the family that a woman gets an assurance of protection, and she will take care of her child as it grows, meaning that the amendment was a threat. Her statement opposed Betty Friedan from the NOW movement, which stated that women lacked self-fulfillment, by living as housewives, as it was the tradition.
Among the many accomplishments, the amendment of equal rights that the women’s amendment had campaigned for was accepted in 1972. Besides, still in 1972, Title IX of amendments concerning education was passed (Carleton 171). The amendment provided funds to the male sports sector if only the same amount were given to the females. The act equivalent pay was to be applied in the administrative and professional sectors. In 1973, abortion was considered a woman’s right. Amidst the accomplishments, the women’s movement failed considering some of the issues that they campaigned. For example, they demanded homosexuality and prostitution rights.
In conclusion, the women’s organization aimed at acquiring equal rights in the education and employment sector. The radical feminists addressed issues that the liberal feminists were unable to, including legalized rape in marriage. In the long run, the women’s movement succeeded and accomplished some of their demands, such as equivalent opportunities in education and work areas.
References
Critchlow, D. T., & Stachecki, C. L. (2008). The equal rights amendment reconsidered: Politics, policy, and social mobilization in a democracy. Journal of Policy History, 20(1), 157-176.
Rosen, Ruth. The world split open: How the modern women’s movement changed America. Tantor eBooks, 2013.
Wilson, James Q., et al. American government: Institutions and policies. Cengage Learning, 2018.
Carleton, David. Landmark congressional laws on education. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002.