1940-1975 Dbq Women's Rights Movement Essay

In the early 20th century, women fought for the right to vote. After more than half a century of continuous activism, the 19th amendment was passed, granting women voting rights. This triumph was merely the beginning of what the women’s rights movement would accomplish. Over the next several decades, women campaigned for policies which challenged societal norms and gave them equal footing with men. Pinpointing a sole cause of this movement has proved to be somewhat problematic, as there are several factors to its rise. In other words, the rise of the women’s rights movement in the period 1940-1975 was prompted by a multitude of components. World War II brought about a dramatic change for America. Women were encouraged to partake in the war

As Friedan points out, “...industry glorifies the American woman” (Document 2). During this period, women fought an image of the “perfect woman.” One such instance is the rally organized by the New York Radical Women to take place on September 7th, 1968 outside of a Miss America Pageant. (Document 4). The goal of the protest was to put an end to pageants and boycott cosmetic and feminine products. The organizer of the campaign is quoted as saying “Miss America [is] an image that oppresses women in every area” (Document 4). This rally was radical in ideology; they were only trying to appeal to women. The press release even states that “...male reporters will be refused interviews” (Document 4). However, not all of the feminist movement was catered to women. In fact, men protested alongside women, holding up signs that proclaimed “The right to choose is the right to refuse” (Document 7). This shows that both women and men believed in the feminist

As mentioned before, many feel as though women still face discrimination in the workforce. However, it is no question that attitudes towards the feminist movement have become less critical overtime. In fact, 51% of men and 69% of women currently identify as feminists, according to the 2015 poll by YouGov. Many celebrities have pushed for women’s rights, which has contributed to its recent acceptance. Overall, there were several components to the rise of the women’s rights movement in the period 1940-1975. Some of these factors include: World War II, unfair working conditions, the idealistic standard of the “perfect woman”, and the civil rights movement. It will be interesting to see where the feminist movement goes in modern