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The Second-Wave Feminism Of The 1960s And 70s

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Introduction
“Thus humanity is male and man defines woman not in herself but as relative to him; she is not regarded as an autonomous being.”
—Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex Second- wave feminism of the 1960s and 70s has left its impact in every home, school, and business. In every form of entertainment and sport, in all aspects of personal and public life. As one of the largest social movements in the history of the United States, it permanently altered the American landscape.
Feminism is a rapidly spreading ideal that has existed for centuries. In the U.S., waves of feminism mark eras encapsulating events which have both further influenced and harmed the growth of feminist ideals. Second- wave feminism began in the early 1960s and lasted …show more content…

The three presidents who were in office during the time of these events were John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon. Kennedy and Johnson were leaders of the Democratic Party, while Nixon was a leader of the Republican Party. Without their legislation, none of the congress approved acts would be made possible.
John F. Kennedy 1961-63
President Kennedy was seen as somewhat of a feminist president and as a pioneer in the women’s movement. In the beginning of his presidency in 1961, he issued an executive order charging the President’s Commission on the Status of Women “with the responsibility for developing recommendations for overcoming discrimination in government and private employment on the basis of sex” (O'Neill). In June 1963, President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act. Shortly before his death in October 1963, Kennedy received the final report of the …show more content…

Johnson 1963-69
President Johnson served the United States directly after Kennedy’s assassination and continued the same democratic ideals of importance as Kennedy. In 1964, Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act. Both the act that Kennedy signed and the one Johnson signed address the largest issues of feminism in the 60s, inequality. The acts were very similar and supported each other in broadening and opening up freedoms and opportunities to women and other minorities.
Richard Nixon 1969-74
Recognizing the gender gap issue, President Nixon focused on increasing women's rights in America throughout his presidency. His policies and initiatives made significant headway on decreasing gender bias (Nixon Library). Nixon served his time in presidency in the climax of the second- wave. He witnessed the height of women’s marches, like the Women’s Strike for Equality. In 1972, the Title IX Act was passed to strengthen the equality in the US educational system. Nixon also witnessed the Supreme Court ruling of Roe v. Wade during his presidency in 1973.

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Before the 60s, Brown v. Board of Education was passed which led to a couple of reforms in de jure segregation, but not heavily mandated by the government. President John F. Kennedy could not do much for the movement due to his desire to keep his image in front of Southern Democrats and his lack of popular mandate in Congress. There was a groundwork set for the movement, but it had not entered its most energized form. However, when the 1960s hit, there were changes that occurred in the entire setting of the movement. The shift in goals, strategies, and support of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s can be attributed to multiple factors, including the influence of younger, more motivated activists, the increasing influence of media on public

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Since there was many educational opportunities for women it began to lead more and more women to find their potential meaningful of their individual professional career. Also women 's salaries increased but not to the amount that men received. Even though women did not quite make as much as men do, it still felt like a huge accomplishment because it was much better circumstances than they had before. In 1972 the Equal Rights Amendment passed which lingered around congress for nearly fifty-five years. The wording of the ERA was simply understood: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.”

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