Betty Frieden's Definition Of Womanhood

To many, womanhood in America today is a complex identity endowed with a variety of unique qualities, experiences, and histories. Yet, this modern definition of the institution is modern for a reason. Throughout a majority of American history, the business of “being a woman” was a narrow venture in which men, as well as selective groups of women, defined what womanhood meant. While some might argue that women influenced what it meant to be a woman through molding the meaning society prescribed it, a true universal womanhood defined by all women and encapsulated the unique experiences that came with that action did not exist. As seen in the feminist movements of the 60s and 70s, when women moved to define femininity’s meaning for themselves, those who benefitted from gender inequality fought back, and even those mainstream feminists within these organizations limited the chance for universal womanhood to exist on the national stage. While this absence of a universal …show more content…
While Storm and Jean Gray’s sisterhood signaled a coming together of white feminists and women of color, mainstream feminist leaders during this period avoided practicing such intersectionality. Women such as Betty Frieden spoke for a white, college-educated audience that dominated the national discussion in such a way that made the attempted reclamation of womanhood narrow. By ignoring the experiences of women of color and the working class, the mainstream feminists of the period could not present a strong enough front to advocate for their demands. This, along with the fracturing of the feminist movement into moderate and radical camps, showed a reluctance by women within the movement to institute an inclusive womanhood defined by all