Chisolm's Double Standards

In 1960s America, women began to react in a new way to the building oppression that had taken decades to create. The double standards set up by society were finally boiling over, and women felt the need for an Equal Rights Amendment, which was originally proposed in 1923 by Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman. This inspired Shirley Chisholm to give her 1969 address to Congress, Equal Rights For Women. The speech expressed the irritations of women from the last century. Women were constantly discriminated against, being treated as the less superior gender. This discrimination was most prominent in the workplace, where sexual harassment and the wage gap were still acceptable. Society’s expectations were for women to be housewives who’s only job was to care for their husbands and children, which put pressure on women who did not want to fit into this stereotype. Chisolm’s 1969 address to Congress accurately portrays the continuing subordination of women in American society, and while she found success for the ERA in Congress, societal opposition obstructed its ratification.
One of the biggest problems for women at the time was where they were in the workplace. During World War II, women showed their capability when they took over enlisted men’s jobs when there was a scarcity of workers. They began doing jobs that before this had not been …show more content…
These abusers were more than likely at home, by husbands or boyfriends. This abuse contributed to ¼ of the suicides by women and ½ the suicide attempts by black women (Jones 47). The abusers were required to be arrested, but did not suffer from the legal or social consequences. This was the same for rape cases, where feminists were criticized for portraying women as victims. Wendy Sanford and and Pamela Berger address the double standard in rape cases in Our Bodies,