The Equal Rights Amendment and the Impact of National Organization of Women

Project I 

This project will cover Equal Rights Amendment. It will highlight the leaders who supported the Equal Rights Amendment and pushed for its ratification. Specifically, the project will focus on the National Organization of Women (NOW), whose leaders intended to continue Alice Paul’s work by pushing for women’s rights. Despite the previous constitutional amendments, women’s rights are still not well-addressed. This project will demonstrate Equal Rights Amendments’ significance and how NOW attempts to push women’s rights. It will highlight the laws that NOW has tried to enhance women’s status and position in society. 

Secondary Sources 

The following secondary sources will be used for this project: 

Bleiweis, R. (2020, January 29). The Equal Rights Amendment: What you need to know . Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/reports/2020/01/29/479917/equal-rights-amendment-need-know/ 

Campbell, T. (n.d.). National Organization for Women . Learning to Give. https://www.learningtogive.org/resources/national-organization-women 

Gallagher, J. (2007). Waging “The Good Fight”: The political career of Shirley Chisolm, 1953-1982. The Journal of African American History , 92(3), 392-408. 

Gladstone, L.W. (2019, March 22). The long road to equality: What women won from the ERA ratification effort. Library of Congress. https://guides.loc.gov/american-women-essays/era-ratification-effort 

Matthews, J. (2020, June 3). These top-flight all-girls public schools are proving the value of single-sex education . The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/these-top-flight-all-girls-public-schools-are-proving-the-value-of-single-sex-education/2020/06/02/69559aa2-a4e1-11ea-b473-04905b1af82b_story.html 

These sources are vital to the research since they highlight the origin and impact of the Equal Rights Amendment. The Center for American Progress , Gallagher (2007), and the Library of Congress display the factors that led to the formation of the National Organization of Women. Other sources describe the impact of the National Organization of Women on American society. When selecting the sources, I made sure that they discussed the historical significance of the Equal Rights Amendment and the National Organization of Women. 

Primary Sources 

The primary sources will entail: 

Chisholm, S. (1973). The good fight . Harper & Row 

Friedan, B. (1974). The feminine mystique . Dell Publishing Co. 

The founders of NOW wrote these books. They provide their insights into the challenges that women face in the US. These sources expand the debate on the significance of the Equal Rights Amendment since they explain how the Constitution and the education system diminished women’s role in society. They support the secondary by explaining the role Friedan and Chisholm played in the National Organization of Women. 

Research Question 

With the National Organization of Woman being so prominent to the Equal Rights Amendment over the years. What laws have they pushed for equal or higher education for women? 

Audience 

The target audience for this project is feminists, women, and leaders. This project will enhance the feminist about their predecessors’ actions and guide them on challenging political, social, and economic barriers that women face. Women can also benefit from this project. Some women are still against feminism, but this project will enlighten them about the impact of feminism on articulating women’s rights. Lawmakers and political leaders are also the target audience; they will learn about the US Constitution’s gaps and make amendments that support equality. 

Presenting Message 

I will use simple terms to ensure the target audience understands the main arguments and ideas. At first, I will present familiar events that display how women are mistreated. Mentioning issues like sexual harassment will provide insight into the challenges that women face. I will explain the history of women’s rights and the people involved. The project will enlist the vital leaders involved in the Civil Rights movement. After describing the Equal Rights Amendment’s history, I will explain how it benefits women by giving real-life examples. 

Project II 

Throughout history, women have been denied equal rights. Most laws support and benefit white men. Initially, the US Constitution allowed white men to own property, go to school, and work. Women were denied these fundamental rights. Some of the legal restrictions that women faced include prohibitions against voting and property ownership. While changes in the US Constitution encourage women to work, they are still victims of gender and racial discrimination. For example, women are expected to take care of their families despite having a job. The Equal Rights Amendment would have changed the way society perceives women by granting them equal rights. National Organization of Women has attempted to address gender discrimination by pushing for Equal Rights Amendment ratification. While National Organization for Women fights for women’s rights, American society still treats women as non-citizens, fails to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, and denies women equal education and employment opportunities. 

One of the factors contributing to the Equal Rights Amendment’s development was the disproval of women’s position in American society. In the twentieth century, the American public viewed women as housewives who had no right to work or vote. One female writer confessed that even though she had a job, the American government considered her a housewife since she was married (Friedan, 1974). The American society discouraged women from taking themselves too seriously. While Census Bureau did not force single women to identify themselves as “housewives,” the officials kept asking women questions like, “Why isn’t a nice girl like you married?” (Friedan, 1974). The American community did not care what they were doing with their lives. People believed that women should be attached to male figures to earn respect. In the US Constitution, the words “women” and “sex” were not included, showing how the Founding Fathers’ shallow perception of women as equal citizens (Bleiweis, 2020). Besides, the Founding Fathers were white men, and when they drafted the Constitution, they wanted its principle of justice to benefit the white men. As a result, American society considered women and people of color as non-citizens and excluded them from legal protections based on their gender and race. 

The prevalent gender discrimination against black women prompted the debate on Equal Rights Amendment. In 1932, Alice Paul proposed the Equal Rights Amendment, three years after the US government granted women the right to vote (Gladstone, 2019). Throughout the years, female leaders have altered the Equal Rights Amendment’s content to enhance its ratification. However, the US government has not approved this amendment. In 1923, there was a division between the militant feminists and the social reformers. While the militant feminists demanded full equality under the Constitution, the social reformers were afraid the amendment would overturn the laws that protected women at the workplace (Gladstone, 2019). The people who opposed Equal Rights Amendment believed that women’s needs were secondary to men. They claimed that the Equal Rights Amendment did not support the Founding Fathers’ vision (Bleiweis, 2020). However, militant feminists were relentless in their push for equality under the Constitution. Eventually, leaders started listening to the women’s views. President Roosevelt enacted the New Deal that granted male and female workers fair wages and working hours (Gladstone, 2019). Despite this effort, women faced discrimination in the agricultural and domestic sectors. 

Although the US government implemented strategies to raise women’s role and position in society, it failed to address equality under the Constitution. President John F. Kennedy appointed Marguerite Rawalt to lead the President’s Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW) (Gladstone, 2019). This commission’s main task was to raise attention to gender discrimination under US law and customary practice. However, Rawalt was the only appointee who supported the Equal Rights Amendment (Gladstone, 2019). Most women objected to the Equal Rights Amendment, making it challenging for female activists to gain political support. The problem for the commission was achieving constitutional equality for women (Gladstone, 2019). There were divergent views from women’s organizations and labor union groups. The Supreme Court recommended that the Fourteenth Amendment offer equal protections, but a constitutional amendment would be postponed (Gladstone, 2019). Female activists were disappointed in the government’s reluctance to address their issues. 

Eventually, female leaders formed the National Organization for Women (NOW) that pushed for equal rights under the Constitution. Marguerite Rawalt, Betty Friedan, Shirley Chisholm, and Muriel Fox were the organization’s pioneers (Gladstone, 2019). These women used their influence to push for women’s rights. For example, Shirley Chisholm served as the vice president for NOW’s New York City charter and supported Equal Rights Amendment (Gallagher, 2007). Chisholm pursued political office to address the need for equality at the federal level. Although she was the only African American Congresswoman in 1969, Chisholm presented a speech to the House of Representatives addressing the Equal Rights Amendment’s significance (Chisholm, 1973). Chisholm criticized the laws that “protected” women by asserting they were designed to deny women positions of power, pay, and promotions. Betty Friedan, another influential NOW member, stated her disappointment in the American education system. She said that the education system articulated gender-based roles, making it impossible for women to be considered equals (Friedan, 1974). NOW was successful in addressing the gender discrimination issues. For example, between 1971 and 1978, some states implemented the Equal Rights Amendments into their constitutions (Gladstone, 2019). Other states eliminated the laws that prevented women from receiving equal treatment. 

NOW addressed women’s rights by challenging the traditional gender roles and the education system. Betty Friedan’s book The Feminine Mystique suggested that the education system misled girls into believing that college-educated and middle-class women were happy since they could attend to their families’ needs (Friedan, 1974). Friedan organized rallies where she claimed that women were unfulfilled their lives. The leader claimed that the education system and American government had denied women the right to pursue their ambitions. Friedan and Chisholm stated that the American society preserved certain professions like engineering for men (Gallagher, 2007). NOW criticized politicians for failing to consider gender and race when implementing measures to fight against poverty. 

NOW has a significant impact on American society. The organization acknowledges that equal rights are still an issue in the US and continues to push for change. NOW attacks school administrators who do not support gender equality (Matthews, 2020). The body derives this view from one of its founders, Betty Friedan, who advocated for educating and empowering young girls to achieve their goals. Today, women can pursue technical courses like aviation and medicine and work without depending on their husbands (Matthews, 2020). NOW has also boosted women’s status in American society. The body promoted the slogan, “Every Mother is a Working Mother,” which encouraged women to prioritize their careers over domestic duties (Campbell, n.d.).Besides, NOW has pressed lawsuits against gender discrimination in employment. In 1969, Sylvia Roberts, the current Southern Regional Director, won the Weeks v. Southern Bell case by proving that sex discrimination violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (Campbell, n.d.). It was the first time to apply Title VII to gender discrimination. 

Furthermore, NOW has addressed gender-based and sexual violence in the US. The members organized the “Take Back the Night” march to create sexual harassment and violence awareness (Campbell, n.d.). Besides, NOW provides women with hotlines and shelters to protect them from abusers. In 1994, NOW won the fight against sexual harassment and violence when Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act (Campbell, n.d.). Also, NOW has been successful in addressing women’s reproductive health. In 1994, the US Supreme Court granted NOW the right to use federal racketeering laws against anti-abortion supporters (Campbell, n.d.). Undoubtedly, NOW has addressed vital issues that affect women. 

Overall, gender discrimination is still prevalent in the US. Today, women face barriers in job promotions and education. In some cases, women have to offer sexual favors to be promoted. Also, women are victims of sexual violence and harassment since they are considered weak and defenseless. The focus on NOW’s impact on Equal Rights Amendment was vital in explaining the feminist perspective of the American leadership and the issues women face. Thinking like a historian enabled me to understand the significance of the Equal Rights Amendment. After learning about Shirley Chisholm and Marguerite Rawalt’s challenges while holding political offices, I understood that gender and racial discrimination are still prevalent. Still, the US leaders are unwilling to address it. Further studies should focus on how the current feminists are changing the way American society perceives women. 

References 

Bleiweis, R. (2020, January 29). The Equal Rights Amendment: What you need to know . Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/reports/2020/01/29/479917/equal-rights-amendment-need-know/ 

Campbell, T. (n.d.). National Organization for Women . Learning to Give. https://www.learningtogive.org/resources/national-organization-women 

Chisholm, S. (1973). The good fight . Harper & Row 

Gallagher, J. (2007). Waging “The Good Fight”: The political career of Shirley Chisolm, 1953-1982. The Journal of African American History , 92(3), 392-408. 

Gladstone, L.W. (2019, March 22). The long road to equality: What women won from the ERA ratification effort. Library of Congress. https://guides.loc.gov/american-women-essays/era-ratification-effort 

Friedan, B. (1974). The feminine mystique . Dell Publishing Co. 

Matthews, J. (2020, June 3). These top-flight all-girls public schools are proving the value of single-sex education . The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/these-top-flight-all-girls-public-schools-are-proving-the-value-of-single-sex-education/2020/06/02/69559aa2-a4e1-11ea-b473-04905b1af82b_story.html