What Was The Role Of Women In The 1960's

Beginning in the mid-19th century, women fought for equal opportunities socially and economically. As more women became vocal about their desires for equality, more actions were taken to achieve their goals. While women gained the right to vote in 1919, few economic opportunities had been afforded to them, especially to middle-class women. From 1941-1988, the role of women in the American workforce changed as women were given new opportunities, had those opportunities taken away from them, and inspired to fight back and reclaim opportunities once given to them.
At the beginning of World War II, American women had a new opportunity that had not previously been offered to them -- working outside of standard “female” jobs, such as teachers or secretaries, and in factory jobs, like welders and riveters. The result was “…the number …show more content…
Job searching for women was characterized as “…a frustrating and even demeaning experience…” because the discrimination was evident from the beginning of the process. This first a question women were asked in interviews was about their typing skills, and once hired, women were paid far less than men were to work the same jobs, showing how little women were valued in the American workforce. This devaluing, along with their lessened involvement in the workforce, unified women and motivated them to fight back against this consistent discrimination. The publication of Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique in 1963 publicly voiced “…how educated, middle-class women felt isolated and useless in the ‘comfortable concentration camp’ of the suburban house.” Friedan also helped found the National Organization for Women in 1966, which continued the fight for women’s equality in the workplace when came to being hired and being paid. The 1960s saw a rebirth of women fighting for their rights, which continued over the next two