The twentieth century marked a number of changes in several aspects of women’s lives, from domestic to public sphere. Women’s movements were formed to put emphasis on equal rights advocacy. This century also marked the emergence of a new generation of female professionals, photographers and artists. This led to the transformation of the traditional patriarchal structure worldwide. There was further development in these social shifts as women entered the workforce and became exposed to political situations and professions that were initially dominated by men.
There were a number of significant issues that women were fighting for in the twentieth century. Equality was one of the significant issues that they fought for. Women were not allowed to take part in several matters that affected the society; men did not want women to vote as a block. Most men believed that women did not understand the ramifications of the situations that they would vote in. Women also fought to be able to access birth control. Many people viewed birth control as an immoral practice and believed that women had no right to control the size of the family. Governments also controlled access to birth control as a method to control the economy and prevent women from gaining power since they would spend a lot of time at home raising children .
National Organization for Women refers to an organization that was established in 1966 to achieve equality for women. Sex discrimination was outlawed by Civil Rights Act of 1964; however, several women were not satisfied with the level of enforcement. This led to the meeting of state commissions on women’s status in 1966 to address the issue. Eventually, the organization was formed. It was established to promote equality and enable women to take part in essential issues that affect the society. It was also established to focus on activism and confront the conditions which prevented women from enjoying the freedom of choice and equality of opportunity .
Equal Rights Amendment ERA refers to an amendment to the constitution which was proposed in the Congress of United States in 1923 to enable women to be treated as people under the law as men. This amendment was also intended to eliminate the notion that women were a class that was subject to governmental regulation. However, the Senate passed ERA in 1972 and sent it to the states for the process of ratification. It was a key focus on the women’s movement in the 1970s and 1980s. This was because women on both sides of ERA were involved in political processes and started learning how power levers were activated at various government levels. The effect of the forces led to a chain of judicial, legislative and elective actions which made a positive contribution to the changes in the status of women in America .
Changes in gender roles, racial relation, and women’s sexuality impact on American Society in a number of ways. Change in women’s sexuality has led to discrimination and prejudice in American society. Several surveys reveal that verbal abuse and harassment are universal experiences among women who have changed their sexuality. Expressions of aggression towards these women are common in American society . Changes in racial relation have led to the influx of ethnic and racial makeup of the American society. New immigrants from Latin America and Asia have added more phenotypic and cultural diversity to the American people leading to blurring of ethnic and racial groups. Changing racial relations have also led to high rates of interracial marriages and rising number of people with mixed ancestry . Changes in gender roles have had some effects on American society as well. Severally young women and men in America challenge traditional gender roles and expect to share in tendering household and children. They also expect sharing in paid work .
Most women in the western world had redefined their roles completely in several aspects of cultural, political and social sphere by mid-twentieth century. It is evident that the first main steps towards changes like these started at the twentieth century’s advent. They were determined to overcome the challenges that they experienced as women.
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