Even in the 19th century, Sojourner Truth lamented racial distinctions in women’s status in a speech before the 1851 Ohio Women's Rights Convention. READ MORE: Why the Fight Over the Equal Rights Amendment Has Lasted Nearly a Century Third Wave Feminism: Who Benefits From the Feminist Movement?Ĭritics have argued that the benefits of the feminist movement, especially the second wave, are largely limited to white, college-educated women, and that feminism has failed to address the concerns of women of color, lesbians, immigrants and religious minorities. Magazine became the first magazine to feature feminism as a subject on its cover in 1976.
By this time, many people had started referring to feminism as “women’s liberation.” In 1971, feminist Gloria Steinem joined Betty Friedan and Bella Abzug in founding the National Women’s Political Caucus. Second Wave Feminism: Women's Liberationīut cultural obstacles remained, and with the 1963 publication of The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan-who later co-founded the National Organization for Women-argued that women were still relegated to unfulfilling roles in homemaking and child care.
The Equal Pay Act of 1963 was among the first efforts to confront this still-relevant issue. Following the civil rights movement, women sought greater participation in the workplace, with equal pay at the forefront of their efforts During World War II, many women actively participated in the military or found work in industries previously reserved for men, making Rosie the Riveter a feminist icon.