1960s Women's Movement

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Leilani Andrada Mr. Reiter U.S. History 6 March 2015 Women’s Movement in the 1960s In the 1960s, life was very difficult for women. Women did not have all the rights men had. But, as years passed, women started getting more opportunities. With these opportunities, women voiced their opinion more and more. Economic, political, and social issues of the 1960s gave rise to the women’s movement because it brought awareness to the issues women had with equality in society and the workplace. Women were held at a certain standard during the 1960’s. They were expected to marry young, have children, and devote their life doing household work as well being a housekeeper…show more content…
Within feminism, identity politics has taken two forms, which together, is believed to be dominant today. The two forms are different and victim feminism. The purpose of feminism is to identify the fact that women should be equal and free to the same degree men are. Victim feminism is men targeting women and victimizing their rights. Wendy Kaminer is a lawyer and a social critic, who writes about law, liberty, feminism, religion and popular culture. According to SCFA, she defines difference feminism by suggesting that women differ from men in many ways. Another famous individual who is familiar with feminism is Carol Gilligan, “she sees the difference that feminism emphasizes that women share "a different voice, different moral sensibilities - an ethic of care” (Mandle). Gilligan focuses more on women and the care for women rather than justice. Kaminer also argues that it allows feminists to be mad at men and challenge their dominance with no worry that they are showing that they are being less feminine. Victim feminism is even popular today because there are a lot of self-help programs and talk shows. For example, “Maury” is a show that focuses on getting the truth and putting relationships on blast. Other examples as well show individuals competing for public recognition of their claims to being personally…show more content…
According to an interview, Gwen Diab, secretary for the Wisconsin Women’s Work Initiative Corporation, also an activist in the 1960s, corresponded an experience where an employer at the business that her friends and her had applied to had a spot open for work. Since women were seeking the employment, the employers would lie and inform them that there were no available spots. Yet, the next day hire a male worker for the same position, even if he was less qualified. In 1969, a Supreme Court Ruling revised this ruling. In the case of Bowe vs. Colgate-Palmolive, the Supreme Court ruled “women meeting the physical requirements could work in many jobs that had been for men only” (National Women’s History Project). There were many big changes that concerned women in the workplace. This case helped women getting more opportunities with getting

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