NOW: The Rise Of The Feminist Movement

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It seems almost unreal that at one point in history, women were denied rights as basic as voting. Looking at how far the feminist movement has come since the 1920s is amazing- it shows that fighting for what you believe in is worth it. Strong, incredible women have worked so hard over the past century to help their sisters be treated as equals, and now, even more passionate feminists have taken over to educate the world and fight for this cause. Over the span of almost 100 years, the movement of feminism has come a long way. However, the fight is far from over. By continuing to campaign and raise awareness, feminists will one day be able to make a serious change in this country.

The first gathering devoted to women’s rights took place
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In the 2014 documentary She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry, early NOW member Jacqui Ceballos commented that when the organization was just beginning, the women involved mainly focused on job and education inequalities and the wage gap. According to Ceballos, they educated women on how to fight discrimination in the workplace, as well as how to sue their own companies for discrimination. Since NOW has been founded, “The Foundation works to enhance the status of women in the United States and around the world through many strategies, including advocacy, litigation, and education. The litigation efforts of the Foundation seek to protect reproductive health options, as well as focusing on other areas of concern to women, such as pregnancy discrimination, employment issues, discrimination against women in the military, sexual harassment and exploitation, lesbian and gay rights, civil rights, sex discrimination in insurance, and ending violence against women” (“Foundation Mission Statement”). Clearly, the organization focuses on much different topics today, but it is important to note that NOW is still standing strong, and with over 500,000 members all across the country, it is the largest feminist organization in the United States (now.org)

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