Women's Liberation Movement Essay Sample

Beginning in the 1960s and continuing until the 1970s, the Women’s Liberation Movement was a social movement targeted at enforcing gender equality and eliminating sexual discrimination against women. The feminist movement was primarily concerned with promoting workplace equality, such as equal job opportunities and fair pay for both men and women, but it also focused on strengthening women’s voices. Women were only thought to help raise a family and complete household duties in the early 1900s. The term “housewife” refers to a married woman whose primary responsibility is to care for her family and handle the household’s liabilities. This term was created by magazines, propaganda posters, and other forms of media. Before the Women’s Liberation Movement had happened, women had very little variety, options, and decisions they could make on their own.  

The Women’s Liberation Movement was largely based in the U.S. It is recognized as the “second wave” of feminism. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the first wave of feminism focused on women’s legal rights, particularly the right to vote. Meanwhile, the second wave of feminism focused on all aspects of women’s lives, including politics, work, family, sexuality, peace and disarmament, education and employment equality, birth control, and an end to violence against women. The Voice of Women (VOW) was founded to advocate for nuclear disarmament and peace, and the Women’s Legal Education Fund (LEAF) was founded to preserve the rights granted in the newly patriated Constitution. During this time indigenous, union, and visible minority women, as well as LGBTQ+ women, were pushed to be heard and got increasing support and attention from the mainstream media. 

The Women’s Liberation movement achieved much during a short period. With the outcome of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (1965), women had gained access to jobs in every corner of the U.S. and Canadian economy. Divorce laws were liberalized; employers were prohibited from firing pregnant women, and women’s studies programs and courses were created in colleges and universities. Women started running for and winning — political office. In 1973 the United States Supreme Court legalized abortions. The subsequent response placed doubt on many of the Women’s Liberation Movement’s social and economic gains. As the number of single mothers and older divorced women living in poverty increased, many Americans began to question whether no-fault divorce and the elimination of most alimony had benefited women’s best interests. With an increasing number of children spending their younger years in child care facilities and daycares, debates and controversies arose about whether women were abandoning their maternal obligations.  

As the decades progressed, the women’s liberation movement gained strength alongside the national rights and anti-war movements. It was a period of enormous change, particularly for women. The female business rate had plunged after World War II, but by 1954 more females were in the force than within the peak of the battle. Most women worked in poor paying jobs such as instructors, nannies, waitresses, secretaries, or mill workers. Although the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited discrimination in business and education, made it easier for women to enter the workforce, birth control also played an important influence. Women were able to delay childbearing to pursue employment or a degree, which had never been conceivable before birth control.

When taking the step forward confidence is an important component in gender equality. Women must know that they have the knowledge or the experience to deal with these accomplishments to get the work done or to take their power, move up and benefit from the gaps they find in their societies. Some surveys show that women make less money when they discuss their wages or don’t apply to businesses (including elected officials in the USA) because they don’t value their worth. Self-confidence may be more difficult to measure, but it is crucial to the other aspects of management. 

In conclusion, the Women’s Liberation Movement has achieved a lot from the 1960s prevailing up until the 70s. They aimed to fulfill gender equality in politics, the workplace, education, family, put an end to violence against women, and towards every area of women’s experiences. Women have benefited from this movement and women’s voices are now being heard, we see this throughout women being able to attain a job, have an education, run for office, and more. Society still has a lot to learn however it is still progressing and changing for the better.