February 19, 1963: The Feminine Mystique

DHS US History II

“The Feminine Mystique” – February 19, 1963 Background Before the early 1960s, women’s purpose was to take care of their families at home and have children. Many women did follow this way of life, whether it meant cooking homemade meals for their husbands while they were at work or cleaning the house. Although they could attend school, it was harder for girls than boys if they wished to be successful in a high paying job after they finished school. Even if they did get a job, women earned far less wages than men. The more time went on, the more women accepted their role as being the housewife at home. However, nearing the early 1960s, many women became active in fighting for equal rights. Women had to gain support before any hope of being listened to, since they did not have high political power. To accomplish this, many women advocated their views on the unjust rights between men and women through articles. Some of these journalists advocated for their rights in newspapers, such as Gloria Steinem, who wrote for the New York Magazine and created her own publication called Ms. Magazine. Another writer, Betty Friedan, published The Feminine Mystique, which could be considered one of the works of literature that sparked the second effort for the women’s rights movement. Feminine Mystique: The Feminine Mystique, written by Betty Friedan, outlines the problem of the traditional roles that women had become accustomed to for the past fifty years. Women had to live up to standards of the “ideal” American women, which put pressure on many young girls to become that ideal women. She spoke to different women about their experiences in order to understand how those women felt about being a housewife. One of them explained that “all she wanted...was what every other American girl wanted--to get married, have four children, and live in a nice house in a nice suburb.” This idea was considered “the dream image of the young American women and the envy, it was said, of women all over the world.” Friedan advocated for other issues as well, such as the lack of birth control options and political involvement allowed by women. In response, she created the National Organization for Women (NOW), which was designed to gain supporters to obtain equal rights for women. Legacy: Writers such as Friedan and Steinem are credited with starting the second women’s rights movement, whose legacy is acknowledged by women still fighting for equal rights today. Although women are mostly legally considered “equal,” many are still denied of a variety opportunities that men are granted, such as equal pay. Since the 1960s, the amount of progress made by women is substantial, shown through the recent presidential election, where America almost saw its first women president. The women who publicized their views about unequal opportunities paved the way for the women’s rights movement and initiated a long-lasting fight that is still going on today.