What did NOW see as the principal problems confronting women? Did its proposals to achieve equality pertain to the “public” (outside of home) or the “private” (home) sphere? Who is the intended audience of this document? Explain your answer. Put it in context*: How does NOW’s statement reflect the influence of other developments in American society by the 1960s?
What did NOW see as the principal problems confronting women? Did its proposals to achieve equality pertain to the “public” (outside of home) or the “private” (home) sphere? Who is the intended audience of this document? Explain your answer. Put it in context*: How does NOW’s statement reflect the influence of other developments in American society by the 1960s?
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- What did NOW see as the principal problems confronting women? Did its proposals to achieve equality pertain to the “public” (outside of home) or the “private” (home) sphere?
- Who is the intended audience of this document? Explain your answer.
- Put it in context*: How does NOW’s statement reflect the influence of other developments in American society by the 1960s?
![13:45 1
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NOW (1966).docx
The National Organization for Women must therefore begin to
speak.
WE BELIEVE that the power of American law, and the
protection guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution to the civil rights
of all individuals, must be effectively applied and enforced to
isolate and remove patterns of sex discrimination, to ensure
equality of opportunity in employment and education, and
equality of civil and political rights and responsibilities on
behalf of women, as well as for Negroes and other deprived
groups.
WE DO NOT ACCEPT the token appointment of a few women
to high-level positions in government and industry as a
substitute for serious continuing effort to recruit and advance
women according to their individual abilities. To this end, we
urge American government and industry to mobilize the same
resources of ingenuity and command with which they have
solved problems of far greater difficulty than those now
impeding the progress of women.
WE BELIEVE that this nation has a capacity at least as great as
other nations, to innovate new social institutions which will
enable women to enjoy the true equality of opportunity and
responsibility in society, without conflict with their
responsibilities as mothers and homemakers. In such
innovations, America does not lead the Western world, but lags
by decades behind many European countries. We do not accept
the traditional assumption that a woman has to choose between
marriage and motherhood, on the one hand, and serious
participation in industry or the professions on the other. We
question the present expectation that all normal women will
retire from job or profession for 10 or 15 years, to devote their
full time to raising children, only to reenter the job market at a
relatively minor level. ...
WE REJECT the current assumptions that a man must carry the
sole burden of supporting himself, his wife, and family, and that
a woman is automatically entitled to lifelong support by a man
upon her marriage, or that marriage, home and family are
primarily woman's world and responsibility — hers, to dominate
his to support. We believe that a true partnership between the
sexes demands a different concept of marriage, an equitable
sharing of the responsibilities of home and children and of the
economic burdens of their support. We believe that proper
recognition should be given to the economic and social value of
homemaking and child-care. To these ends, we will seek to open
a reexamination of laws and mores governing marriage and
divorce, for we believe that the current state of `half-equity"
between the sexes discriminates against both men and women,
and is the cause of much unnecessary hostility between the
sexes.
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NOW (1966).docx
The National Organization for Women must therefore begin to
speak.
WE BELIEVE that the power of American law, and the
protection guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution to the civil rights
of all individuals, must be effectively applied and enforced to
isolate and remove patterns of sex discrimination, to ensure
equality of opportunity in employment and education, and
equality of civil and political rights and responsibilities on
behalf of women, as well as for Negroes and other deprived
groups.
WE DO NOT ACCEPT the token appointment of a few women
to high-level positions in government and industry as a
substitute for serious continuing effort to recruit and advance
women according to their individual abilities. To this end, we
urge American government and industry to mobilize the same
resources of ingenuity and command with which they have
solved problems of far greater difficulty than those now
impeding the progress of women.
WE BELIEVE that this nation has a capacity at least as great as
other nations, to innovate new social institutions which will
enable women to enjoy the true equality of opportunity and
responsibility in society, without conflict with their
responsibilities as mothers and homemakers. In such
innovations, America does not lead the Western world, but lags
by decades behind many European countries. We do not accept
the traditional assumption that a woman has to choose between
marriage and motherhood, on the one hand, and serious
participation in industry or the professions on the other. We
question the present expectation that all normal women will
retire from job or profession for 10 or 15 years, to devote their
full time to raising children, only to reenter the job market at a
relatively minor level. ...
WE REJECT the current assumptions that a man must carry the
sole burden of supporting himself, his wife, and family, and that
a woman is automatically entitled to lifelong support by a man
upon her marriage, or that marriage, home and family are
primarily woman's world and responsibility — hers, to dominate
his to support. We believe that a true partnership between the
sexes demands a different concept of marriage, an equitable
sharing of the responsibilities of home and children and of the
economic burdens of their support. We believe that proper
recognition should be given to the economic and social value of
homemaking and child-care. To these ends, we will seek to open
a reexamination of laws and mores governing marriage and
divorce, for we believe that the current state of `half-equity"
between the sexes discriminates against both men and women,
and is the cause of much unnecessary hostility between the
sexes.
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NOW (1966).docx
We, men and women who hereby constitute ourselves as the
National Organization for Women, believe that the time has
come for a new movement toward true equality for all women in
America, and toward a fully equal partnership of the sexes, as
part of the world-wide revolution of human rights now taking
place within and beyond our national borders.
The purpose of NOW is to take action to bring women into full
participation in the mainstream of American society now,
exercising all the privileges and responsibilities thereof in truly
equal partnership with men.
We believe the time has come to move beyond the abstract
argument, discussion and symposia over the status and special
nature of women which has raged in America in recent years;
the time has come to confront, with concrete action, the
conditions that now prevent women from enjoying the equality
of opportunity and freedom of choice which is their right, as
individual Americans, and as human beings.
NOW is dedicated to the proposition that women, first and
foremost, are human beings, who, like all other people in our
society, must have the chance to develop their fullest human
potential. We believe that women can achieve such equality only
by accepting to the full the challenges and responsibilities they
share with all other people in our society, as part of the decision-
making mainstream of American political, economic and social
life.
We organize to initiate or support action, nationally, or in any
part of this nation, by individuals or organizations, to break
through the silken curtain of prejudice and discrimination
against women in government, industry, the professions, the
churches, the political parties, the judiciary, the labor unions, in
education, science, medicine, law, religion and every other field
of importance in American society.
Despite all the talk about the status of American women in
recent years, the actual position of women in the United States
has declined, and is declining, to an alarming degree throughout
the 1950's and 60's. Although 46.4% of all American women
between the ages of 18 and 65 now work outside the home, the
overwhelming majority — 75% - are in routine clerical, sales,
or factory jobs, or they are household workers, cleaning women,
hospital attendants. About two-thirds of Negro women workers
are in the lowest paid service occupations. Working women are
becoming increasingly not less concentrated on the
bottom of the job ladder. ...
In all the professions considered of importance to society, and in
the executive ranks of industry and government, women are
losing ground. Where they are present it is only a token handful.
Women comprise less than 1% of federal judges; less than 4% of
all lawyers; 7% of doctors. Yet women represent 51% of the
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Transcribed Image Text:13:45 1
Back
NOW (1966).docx
We, men and women who hereby constitute ourselves as the
National Organization for Women, believe that the time has
come for a new movement toward true equality for all women in
America, and toward a fully equal partnership of the sexes, as
part of the world-wide revolution of human rights now taking
place within and beyond our national borders.
The purpose of NOW is to take action to bring women into full
participation in the mainstream of American society now,
exercising all the privileges and responsibilities thereof in truly
equal partnership with men.
We believe the time has come to move beyond the abstract
argument, discussion and symposia over the status and special
nature of women which has raged in America in recent years;
the time has come to confront, with concrete action, the
conditions that now prevent women from enjoying the equality
of opportunity and freedom of choice which is their right, as
individual Americans, and as human beings.
NOW is dedicated to the proposition that women, first and
foremost, are human beings, who, like all other people in our
society, must have the chance to develop their fullest human
potential. We believe that women can achieve such equality only
by accepting to the full the challenges and responsibilities they
share with all other people in our society, as part of the decision-
making mainstream of American political, economic and social
life.
We organize to initiate or support action, nationally, or in any
part of this nation, by individuals or organizations, to break
through the silken curtain of prejudice and discrimination
against women in government, industry, the professions, the
churches, the political parties, the judiciary, the labor unions, in
education, science, medicine, law, religion and every other field
of importance in American society.
Despite all the talk about the status of American women in
recent years, the actual position of women in the United States
has declined, and is declining, to an alarming degree throughout
the 1950's and 60's. Although 46.4% of all American women
between the ages of 18 and 65 now work outside the home, the
overwhelming majority — 75% - are in routine clerical, sales,
or factory jobs, or they are household workers, cleaning women,
hospital attendants. About two-thirds of Negro women workers
are in the lowest paid service occupations. Working women are
becoming increasingly not less concentrated on the
bottom of the job ladder. ...
In all the professions considered of importance to society, and in
the executive ranks of industry and government, women are
losing ground. Where they are present it is only a token handful.
Women comprise less than 1% of federal judges; less than 4% of
all lawyers; 7% of doctors. Yet women represent 51% of the
6
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