Analysis Of The Feminine Mystique By Betty Friedan

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After the Second World War, America emerged as a mighty superpower. People’s lives were turned around for the better. Egressing from the Great Depression, people found themselves economically stable once again. The war had brought about many changes in the lives of people. Women were one of the groups that were positively affected by the changes brought by the war. Before the war, women had very few rights and very intransigent role in society. It had been just thirty-five short years since the ratification of the nineteenth amendment that allowed them to vote. During the war, women entered the workforce to fill the shortage left by soldiers. They proved to themselves and others that they were capable of being productive members of society…show more content…
It took some courageous women lots of hard work and dedication to achieve these feats. One of these important feminists was Betty Friedan. Betty Friedan was the author of The Feminine Mystique. The book was from a housewife's point of view. It dealt with the struggles women faced with their strict role in society. The book is credited for starting the second wave of feminism. The second wave of feminism was responsible for many of the events mentioned above. In addition to kick starting this second wave, Betty Friedan helped found the previously mentioned National Organization for Women (NOW). Along with other feminists, Betty Friedan sought to end sexual discrimination. Gloria Steinem was another icon in the feminist movement. In 1971, Steinem first got her magazine, Ms. Magazine, published as a sample insert in the New York magazine. The magazine became a forum for the voices of the feminist movement, launching Steinem as a feminist icon. Gloria Steinem didn't stop there. She supported her fellow feminist, Shirley Chisholm. Chisholm became the first major-party African American candidate for president of the United States as well as the first woman to run for the Democratic presidential nomination. Gloria Steinem's most recent accomplishment is the co-founding of the Women's Media Center. The Women's Media Center's purpose is to amplify the voices of women in the media. On September 21, 1981, Sandra Day O'Connor became the first woman Supreme Court justice. She served until her retirement on January 31, 2006. In 2007, Nancy Pelosi became the fist woman Speaker of the House. Pelosi became the highest ranking female politician in American History. O'Connor and Pelosi provided us proof that the efforts of feminists were not in vain. They were taking full advantage of their
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