The Changing Role Of Women Flashcards
What was the impact of WW2 on women?
> women had greater career opportunities
- 6 million were employed in traditional ‘male’ jobs such as machinists and toolmakers
> 300,000 joined the armed forces
What happened to women after the war?
> many gave up their wartime jobs and returned to being wives and mothers
> some became employed in traditionally ‘female’ work such as teaching, nursing and secretarial work
Describe the position of women in the 1950s.
> the media exerted an influence encouraging women to adopt their traditional family role
> boredom with domestic routine and increased freedom due to labour saving devices encouraged some women to seek payed employment. But choice was v. Limited
What was the Feminine Mystique?
> book published by Betty Friedan 1963
- ridiculed the idea that women were only suited to low-paid employment
- called for progress in female employment opportunities
What was NOW?
> national organisation for women
- set up by Friedan and others in 1966
> campaigned for equal rights for women and challenged discrimination in the courts
> by 1970 had 40,000 members
What was the Women’s Liberation Movement?
> more radical than NOW
> became more active in challenging discrimination
> gained publicity by burning their bras
- 1965 picketed the Miss America Beauty Contest
What were some of the events of progress from the 1980s onwards?
> 1981 Sandra Day O’Connor was appointed the first female Supreme Court judge
> 1983 Dr Sally Ride was the first women to enter space
> by 1995, 70% of women of the working age were employed, compared to only 38% in 1955
What were some setbacks in the position of women?
> many were still employed in traditional jobs and
by 1998 women’s earnings were only 75% of men’s
> by 1990 women are 6x as likely to be in poverty
What were some key legislations in the feminist movement?
> the Civil Rights Act 1964 banned discrimination based on gender
> 1973 abortion was legalised giving women more freedom of choice
