NOW+and+Feminism

Because some employers would not give the same work rights or even hire women just because they’re not men that's why NOW was created. In the year 1880 a woman, Mrs. H. Griswold, wrote a letter to Susan B. Anthony that stated “ Words fail to convey the bitter hatred I have for the foul demagogues who would take from me the freedom they claim for themselves” Then in 1909, a woman named Emma Goldman wrote “A New Declaration of Independence,” in which she declared the self-evident truth that all human beings “irrespective of race, color, or sex” are born with equal rights. Post to the World Ware II era, strong feminist voices were dwindling in numbers and volume; the momentum that the feminist contained it won suffrage and it expanded the women’s rights in the early 20th century had waned. There was a negative media blitz that proclaimed the death of feminism and the suburban housewives celebrated to the end of feminism. When The Civil Rights Act of 1964 had come to Congress, feminists worked hard for the addition of an amendment that prohibits sex discrimination in employment. After the debate the Act had been passed with the prohibition in the Title VII. It was added by a congressman who had hope that he would defeat the Act by including sex. But Title VII was still a shallow protection for all women in the workforce. In 1965 the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was formed in order for them to enforce the Civil Rights Act. September 1965 the EEOC decided that sex segregation in job advertising was allowed. In October 1965 there was a conference on Title VII and the EECO. Dr. Pauli Murray who was a law professor at Yale and he was also a member of the President’s Commission on the Status of Women. Denounced the EEOC and their stance that permitted Help Wanted Male and Help Wanted Female segregated job advertising. He was one of many historic linkups that had led to a reemergence of the feminist movement in the U.S. From June 28th to June 30th in 1966, there was a conference in Washington, D.C., where Friedan and Murray sat among hundreds of representatives. The theme at the conference was “Targets for Action,” where many of the delegates had wanted to pass a resolution that demands the EEOC to carry out its legal mandate to end sex discrimination in employment. Betty Friedan had attended the conference to be a writer and observer and she watched the efforts of Graham and Hernadez to enforce Title VII. Both commissioners and EEOC attorney Sonia Pressman Fuentes were “privately suggesting the need for an organization to speak on behalf of women in the way civil rights groups had done for Blacks” stated Friedan. As 15-20 frustrated women that participated in the conference assembled in Betty Friedan’s hotel room to talk about strategies on what they can do. Among those women there was: Catherine Conroy, Rosalind Loring, Dorothy Haener, and Kay Clarenbach. Loring took the groups anger about what has happened at the conference and see what they could do to change it: “There was a lot of feeling building in a lot of women then, and…they were more-or-less ready.” With their time running out, more of the “dissidents” gathered during the final conference luncheon, and they began planning formation of a new organization. Gene Boyer called a hurried meeting over lunch and said, “Catherine Conroy pulled out a five-dollar bill from her wallet and, in her usually terse style, invited us to ‘put your money down and sign your name.’ NOW was a reality and I think we all felt somehow we had participated in a significant beginning.” Anloyce Clapp had wrote, “28 women met to set up a temporary organization for this purpose: To take action to bring women into full participation in the mainstream of American society now, assuming all the privileges and responsibilities thereof in truly equal partnership with men.” By October about 300 people became charter member. They weren’t just women there had been men that joined. October 29th-30th was the organizing conference in Washington, D.C. Out of 300 charter members only 30 had participated in the conference. The National Organization for Women has helped women all around the United States have the same rights in the workforce.And they will keep fighting if they have to if the women’s rights are ever in trouble and threatened.

Source: //National Organization for Women//. 1995. 24 Feb. 2010 < [|http://www.now.org/organization/conference/resolutions...] >.

**Feminism Today** Feminism happens all around the world. Just because it’s the 2000’s, people still feminize about certain things. Like today they still have work forces that are feminist. I think that because some men own some companies, they may be feminist and that can prevent women from getting a job for them. Some men need to get a huge wake up call saying that it’s the 21st century and women are equal to men and that they will have a big problem on their hands. People need to figure out that both men and women are equal so we all should be treated equally.