In 1970, Gloria Steinem was invited to make a commencement speech at Vassar College, her speech was called “Living the Revolution.” Gloria Steinem was and is a political activist, feminist, and journalist recognized for her activism during the Women’s Rights Movement that started in the 1960s. During her speech, she covers topics many would not choose to talk about. The fact that she talked about these touchy subjects at the time only shows how passionate she was about the women’s movement. She goes into depth on the feminist movement which she says should be referred to as “humanist” since the movement is about rescuing the country from its old ways. Gloria depicts the different myths regarding women inferiority and why these myths are not true. She outlines the objective of being equal to men; a world where women and men share household responsibilities, equal work, and equal pay. She explains the need for women studies and black studies, and why they are vital to society and the future of our country; “Patriotism means obedience, age means wisdom, woman means submission, black means inferior–these are preconceptions embedded so deeply in our thinking that we honestly may not know that they are there” (Voices of Democracy, Steinem). In history, all we have been shown is white men and what they’ve accomplished for our country. Many of us grew up seeing our grandma’s and/or our mother’s serve the men of the house. These are things we might see as “normal” or the “right” way of doing things, but we only see them that way because we grew up accustomed to that. Gloria’s message is that just because it’s what has been done, doesn’t mean it's the right way. There is no need to associate patriotism with obedience, age with wisdom, woman with submission, or black with inferior. These are things that have been linked to one another, but it’s time for change. We may not notice that our way of thinking is flawed, but it’s never too late to change it. Women and men are still fighting for women’s rights to this day. Being a Hispanic woman in the United States, I have seen plenty of misogyny and ingrained gender roles in both my hispanic culture and white culture. We still see sexual harassment, unequal pay, domestic violence, sexual abuse, the push to remove legal abortion, etc. Women such as Susan B. Anthony fought for our right to vote in the 1800s, then women like Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem fought for our right to work, have sexual freedom, free ourselves from gender roles, and equal pay in the 1600s. Even though there's still a long way to go, significant changes have been made since these times and continue to be made today. The 1960s Women's Rights movement shows just how powerful women and men are, and can be when they come together to fight for what's right. Although Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem may have provided different approaches to the Women’s Movement of the 1960s, their passion to fight for equality has inspired and united generations of women to this day.
The Feminine Mystique
In the article, “The Women's Movement and Feminist Activism in the 1960s” author Linda Napikoski covers the second wave of feminism in the 1960s. She unfolds the important events and changes that came from the movement. The movement really started picking up momentum after the book by Betty Friedan, The Feminine Mystique was published. People began to talk about gender roles in the U.S. and why women needed to be more than housewives. Conscious raising groups were fundamental during the movement. They encouraged women to speak out and offered support to them using the power they had as a group. There were also women's liberation groups like The National Organization for Women, the Redstockings, and the New York Radical Women. These groups dedicated their time to finding ways to improve education, employment, and other women's issues during that time. Protests were also very important for the movement; they gave women a voice through the media. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 paved the way for many lawsuits against discrimination in the workplace, which resulted in a huge increase in women entering the workforce and an increase in wage. “Feminists inspired unprecedented changes in the fabric of our society that had far-reaching economic, political, and cultural consequences,” Napikoski says. Napikoski was able to capture all the main events and organizations of the Women’s Liberation Movement into her short article in a well structured and easily understandable manner.
Advocacy for Equal Rights
Empowerment
This image encapsulates the beauty and empowerment of the women’s liberation movement through its ability to capture your attention. The black and white leaves no room for any distractions; you see exactly what's important. The women shown in the image are standing up straight and tall, holding a sign with the bold message "Equal Jobs and Educational Opportunities.” This sign is loud, bold, and clear. The sign ties perfectly into the picture because it encapsulates the movement, because just like the sign; these women were loud, bold, and clear with what they wanted. Apart from the huge sign, the woman in the middle stands out the most. She's in a powerful pose, holding up the American flag. She seems to be leading the protest and she looks proud to be doing so. It looks to me like she's wearing a cape. That might not be the case, but she looks heroic in my opinion. I believe the message is very clear, as it's in bold black letters. These women are fighting for equal rights and look very determined while doing so. I think the creator of this image wanted to portray the power of the movement and this picture says it all. Also, I believe the creator was able to capture just how important protests were in the women’s rights movement. Through protests, women were able to get media coverage which only encouraged more women to join in and allowed them to have a voice. This image captures many women united for a cause that will affect women forever. I think this picture is leaving out the sadness in the movement. These women look happy in the picture, but the women's movement involved a lot of anger, time, handwork, sweat, and tears. It came with years of oppression and settling for less. The facial expressions on the women in the picture show perseverance and focus. These women truly look unstoppable. The image has a serious tone and an empowering mood. The determination and power in this picture radiate, and make you want to join in and fight beside them for equality. The events that led up to this picture were many. Women were fed up of being seen as sex objects and of being seen as inferior to men. They wanted more for themselves and stood up to fight for it. They were fighting for their right to education, equal pay, making decisions over their own body, and personal fulfillment. I fell in love with this picture because it truly speaks to its audience. It tells you, "we're here, and we're not stopping until we get what we deserve." This is what we should picture when we think about the women's liberation movement.
Gloria Steinem
Gloria Steinem, also known as the "world's most famous feminist," a very important woman in women's history who gave so much through her writing and other forms of advocacy. Gloria Steinem faced a tough childhood when she had to take care of her mentally ill mother after her parent’s divorce. “Over and over again, she saw the doctors dismiss her mother’s obvious distress and mental illness—and long before she was a feminist, recognized an anti-woman bias when she saw it” (Karbo). Gloria’s childhood wasn’t easy, but it shaped her into the warrior she became. Gloria Steinem had opposing viewpoints as other major activists, one being Betty Friedan. Sources say the media often pinned them against each other. Steinem’s approach was a much more modern approach while Betty Friedan’s was a little old fashioned, primarily focusing on white middle- and upper-class women. While Friedan focused on a certain type of woman, Gloria “...understood that race, class, and caste (she traveled for two years after college in India) tend to double and triple the degree of oppression to which women are subjected” (Karbo). Gloria was being watched at all times. Being an inspiration to many people wasn’t easy; it was a big responsibility. In 1992, she published the book Revolution from Within: A Book of Self-Esteem, she received a lot of backlash as it wasn’t about social activism. A high point of Gloria Steinem’s life was when she was a Playboy Bunny for a month in order to uncover what it was like to work for Playboy Club. She unveiled the conditions in which women worked and their low pay. She managed to stay undercover for a month and her story was very successful, some saw it as part of a revolution. Gloria Steinem’s personal experiences and desire to write were her motivation. Gloria wanted to be taken seriously as a writer; she eventually co-founded Ms. Magazine. Gloria had a very charming personality and often took advantage of her looks as well. She was very passionate about her writing and being an advocate for women's rights. Steinem is a strong woman; she battled and beat breast cancer, then wrote a book after. Also, she was very smart in how she approached situations and took criticism well. Gloria was and is unique in women's history, never giving up and doing so much for women's rights through her writing, organizations, and speeches. She continues her writing today at 86 years old, reflecting on her long and eventful life.
Betty Friedan
Betty Friedan once said: "Women, as well as men, can only find their identity in work that uses their full capacities. A woman cannot find her identity in the dull routine of housework.” This quote is from the book The Feminine Mystique, written by Betty Friedan. The book is mentioned a lot in the video. Women were very empowered by this book in the 1960s, the video calls this book a revelation for women. This video is relatively long but packed with useful and interesting information. Not only does this video provide useful information but also personal stories from those who lived through the Women's Rights movement in the 1960s. Women were fighting for their right to work better jobs and to receive better pay. The documentary introduces you to a woman named Amy Coen, who was a student at University of Michigan in 1969. She felt on top of the world at the time and empowered by all the movements. She shares her experience on obtaining the birth control pill, which at the time was a big deal. The pill had brought new equality for relationships and Amy was testament to that. Another woman, Anilu Elias shares how the pill kept her from having as many children as her husband wanted. Anilu's husband wanted a lot of kids, and she didn't. If it wasn't for the pill, she says her husband would've been able to control her. The movement in the U.S. inspired Europe to do the same and they eventually achieved equal pay. One woman, Karen Harrison shares her experience as a train driver during that time, she talks about the way she was treated and how some men refused to work with her. The video also includes a few clips of songs that took part in the movement during this time. The video covers women's anger towards the church during this movement, as well as the press's role in the movement. This video gave me very specific information that I can take and look into further. It's a relatively long video but leaves you educated and wanting more. I learned a lot from this video but especially loved listening to all the personal stories that were in the video.
The Me Too Movement
When talking about women's rights, we have to remember the action women are taking today, to continue to make a change. The Me Too movement was created in 2006 by social activist Tarana Burke with the purpose of helping sexual violence survivors. The movement focused on helping women, especially women of low-income communities and women of color. The movement quickly grew and helped spread awareness. “People are now open to having a discussion about the issues and becoming more passionate about seeing something done” (Gordon). This movement helped and still helps empower women by encouraging them to share their own story in order to accomplish change. Not only that, but the Me Too Movement helps connect women with resources to help them overcome their experiences. It doesn't only connect women to resources though, but also connects women to one another. Many people look down on sexual violence survivors and often try to belittle their experience. Women often get blamed for getting sexually harassed, raped, and molested. The Me Too movement lets women know that someone believes them, that they're not alone, and that their story matters. I think people don't realize how common sexual violence or sexual harassment is and the Me Too movement has helped bring awareness to just how horrible the situation is. A lot of women have opened up about their experience as a result of the movement including famous people like Jennifer Lawrence and Lady Gaga. I myself have seen this movement take place on twitter, so many women telling their story and others relating to them and having very similar stories. I have seen women warn other women of certain abusers as well as uplift each other through social media. Many people think women should be ashamed to share their story but the Me Too movement encourages them to take power and tell their story. It's crazy to see how much social media can do today. Women would go out and protest in the 60s and that was the way they'd accomplish change. It's crazy that now women can make an impact and join in from across the world by using the simple hashtag of #MeToo on their cellphones. This is just one of the examples of the long journey still going on today toward women's rights and women empowerment.
Misconceptions
I believe there is a lot of misconception around feminism and female empowerment. As a matter of fact, before I started this project, I wasn't sure where I stood on feminism. Like a lot of women, I didn't know what feminism truly was. I now come to realize that a lot of people are feminists but just don't put a label on it because they've misinterpreted the word. I came across an article during my research, " 7 Reasons Why I'm Not a Feminist" by Suzanne Venker. Suzanne starts her article by saying that the ultimate goal of feminism is the destruction of motherhood and family. Suzanne organizes her article into seven reasons to why she isn't a feminist and describes each one. After reading it, I understood why she wasn't a feminist, and why I was so afraid to call myself one. However, I strongly disagreed with a few of her points. Her fourth reason says that women should thank men for the invention of the pill, and that there was a reason women weren't as involved in the past; that it has nothing to do with society holding them down. I believe that through history, we can see just how much men in government and society held women back from reaching their full potential. In my research I came across the word "misandry," I didn't know this word existed. Misandry is female misogyny, but instead of being a prejudice and dislike for women; it's having a prejudice and dislike for men. Many women associate feminism with misandry, which is why it makes sense that women don't call themselves feminists. However, that's not what feminism is at all. Like in every organization or group, there's always people who take things too far. Many people who are misandrists call themselves feminists and give feminism a bad name. Feminism is the advocacy for women's rights and the equality of sexes. It's not believing that women are superior to men, but believing that women deserve the same opportunities as men, because they're equal to men. Although I disagree with Suzanne, I can acknowledge that some of her points are valid. Like many women, Suzanne has misunderstood the true meaning of feminism and has probably had a bad experience with people who claim to be feminists.
This I Believe
Going into this project, I knew almost nothing about the second wave of feminism in the United States. My perspective of feminism was far from correct, and I picked this subject because I wanted to learn more about it. Looking back now, I wish I would've educated myself on this subject a lot sooner. This has become something I'm passionate about. I realized I wasn't really taught about this in school and I should've been. My idea of feminism before was completely off, but not out of the ordinary. I discovered that a lot of women, like me, are or were afraid of calling themselves feminists because they associated feminism with hating men. However, I can proudly call myself a feminist now that I know its true meaning. Feminism isn't about men at all, it's about everyone coming together to advocate for what's right. In this case, it's equality of sexes. Anyone can be a feminist, not just women. It's evident that women have been oppressed, given limitations, and deprived of their rights in the past and continue to face that today. Feminism is about making sure women are able to reach their full potential, and that they're given the exact same opportunities as everyone else. The Women's Rights Movement in the 1960s opened so many doors for women and helped us become the more liberated society we are today. The second wave of feminism wasn't so much about politics, but instead about societal issues. We are free to break away from gender roles, take control over our bodies, and work any job we want because of the precedents set by the women who fought for us in the second wave of feminism. Don't get me wrong, I know there's still a long way to go regarding women's issues. Although minimized, a lot of these issues still exist today. Issues like sexual harassment in the workplace, unequal pay, and gender roles. Therefore, there's many organizations as well as people who continue to advocate and fight for women's rights. As a woman, I have experienced my fair share of discrimination for being a woman myself. We are often told certain things aren't a "woman's job" or that they are a "woman's job." It's important to know that a woman's job is whatever a woman wants to do whether that be a nurse or a mechanic. I can honestly say this project has helped me grow as a person, and I hope to help educate those who also have a misconception on what feminism is. It's never too late to grow as a person and recognize when you've been wrong. It's time to come together and do what's correct for those around us and for ourselves.
Cohen, Sascha. “Women's Equality Day: The History of When Women Went on Strike.” Time, Time, 26 Aug. 2015, time.com/4008060/women-strike-equality-1970/.
Gordon, Sherri. “Everything You Need to Know About the #MeToo Movement.” Verywell Mind, 2 July 2020, www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-metoo-movement-4774817.
Green, Emma. “The Feisty Feminism of 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun,' 30 Years Later.”
The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 1 Apr. 2014, www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/04/the-feisty-feminism-of-girls-just-want-to-have-fun-30-years-later/359834/.
Karbo, Karen. “How Gloria Steinem Became the 'World's Most Famous Feminist'.” How Gloria Steinem Became the "World's Most Famous Feminist", Nation Geographic, 25 Mar. 2019, www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/2019/03/how-gloria-steinem-became-worlds-most-famous-feminist/.
Macleod, Jennifer S. “Women’s Rights in the United States.” Vol. 29, Women’s International Network, 2003, https://search.proquest.com/docview/230983231?accountid=38876
Rampton, Martha. “Four Waves of Feminism.” Pacific University, 13 July 2020, www.pacificu.edu/magazine/four-waves-feminism.
Steinem, Gloria. “Steinem, ‘Living the Revolution' Speech Text.” Voices of Democracy: The U.S. Oratory Project, 16 Nov. 2010, https://umvod.wordpress.com/steinem-living-the-revolution-speech-text/
Steinem, Gloria. “Living the Revolution.” 31 May 1970, Vassar College.
Napikoski, Linda. "The Women's Movement and Feminist Activism in the 1960s." ThoughtCo, Feb. 11, 2020, thoughtco.com/1960s-feminist-activities-3529000.
Women's Movement 1960s-1970s. Youtube, uploaded by International School History Teacher, 26 Jan. 2020, https://youtu.be/lxG_pGULXi0
Work Cited
Cohen, Sascha. “Women's Equality Day: The History of When Women Went on Strike.” Time, Time, 26 Aug. 2015, time.com/4008060/women-strike-equality-1970/.
Gordon, Sherri. “Everything You Need to Know About the #MeToo Movement.” Verywell Mind, 2 July 2020, www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-metoo-movement-4774817.
Green, Emma. “The Feisty Feminism of 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun,' 30 Years Later.”
The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 1 Apr. 2014, www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/04/the-feisty-feminism-of-girls-just-want-to-have-fun-30-years-later/359834/.
Karbo, Karen. “How Gloria Steinem Became the 'World's Most Famous Feminist'.” How Gloria Steinem Became the "World's Most Famous Feminist", Nation Geographic, 25 Mar. 2019, www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/2019/03/how-gloria-steinem-became-worlds-most-famous-feminist/.
Macleod, Jennifer S. “Women’s Rights in the United States.” Vol. 29, Women’s International Network, 2003, https://search.proquest.com/docview/230983231?accountid=38876
Rampton, Martha. “Four Waves of Feminism.” Pacific University, 13 July 2020, www.pacificu.edu/magazine/four-waves-feminism.
Steinem, Gloria. “Steinem, ‘Living the Revolution' Speech Text.” Voices of Democracy: The U.S. Oratory Project, 16 Nov. 2010, https://umvod.wordpress.com/steinem-living-the-revolution-speech-text/
Steinem, Gloria. “Living the Revolution.” 31 May 1970, Vassar College.
Napikoski, Linda. "The Women's Movement and Feminist Activism in the 1960s." ThoughtCo, Feb. 11, 2020, thoughtco.com/1960s-feminist-activities-3529000.
Women's Movement 1960s-1970s. Youtube, uploaded by International School History Teacher, 26 Jan. 2020, https://youtu.be/lxG_pGULXi0