At the start of the 20th century, American women had limited respect in the workspace and their lives. The responsibilities of women revolved around their households; this was made possible by marrying girls at an early that they could begin building their own families. Women had to be submissive to their husbands, and they did not have the right to own family property (OpenStaxCollege, 385). Women careers were limited to secretaries, nurses or teachers and they were paid low salaries to prevent them from advancing their careers. In 1962, college-educated women felt they needed to raise their concerns and have equal rights to the men. The goal of the women’s rights movement was to abolish workplace inequalities such as salary inequality and lack of high-paying jobs for women (OpenStaxCollege, 384). Equality could be achieved by passing anti-discrimination laws. The 19th Amendment gave women rights to vote during an election but did not favor women employment. The women wanted Acts to be amended for the purpose of equality in America.
There was a need to prohibit gender discrimination, and that had to be anchored in law. With the help of Michigan Representative, a new law prohibiting gender discrimination was enacted. Betty Friedan played a crucial role in the women’s right movement. Betty formed a foundation that fought against gender discrimination (OpenStaxCollege, 889). Betty’s idea was not to disband the existing system but have more opportunities for women to participate in public and political levels. The women organization led by Betty lobbied for equality laws and assisted women looking for legal help. Other key players include Gloria Steinem, who attracted attention through her writings. Through the efforts and ideas of these women, significant reforms were made and women today enjoy equal rights as men.
Work Cited
OpenStaxCollege. US History. 1st ed. Houston, Texas: OpenStax College, 2014. Web. 25 Mar. 2016.
