What role did women play in the labor movement?

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During the 1960s and 1970s, American women clamored for the same working opportunities as men. This labor movement featured famous women such as Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem. While it is said that the women’s labor movement was inspired by the civil rights movement of the same era, the fight for women’s rights actually began much earlier.

In the early 1800s, women had few legal rights. They were excluded from the labor force, colleges, elective offices and legal transactions. This meant that women could not earn a living, sign a contract to divorce an abusive husband or fight for custody of their children.

The fight for women’s rights began in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848, when women such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott led the first Women’s Rights Convention. They and other pro-active women demanded equality for women, most especially the right to vote. They sought to break the status quo, upend long-held points of view and, ultimately, to change laws. Another woman who was a precursor of the women’s labor movement was Alice Paul, a significant figure in women’s suffrage in the 1920s. Like women participating in the labor movement of recent decades, these women had to fight attitudes held by the majority of not only men but by many women as well, and to prevail over the belief that a woman’s place is in the home.

The right to vote, won in 1920, was more than just a giant stride in women’s quest to achieve equality. It served as an impetus for women throughout the decades to take a stand wherever women faced discrimination. It has been said that these early women’s movements paved the way for the labor movement.

Several historical events made it necessary and possible for women to enter the workforce. The Great Depression of 1929 compelled women to work outside of the home in order to help support their families. During World War II, women again were drawn into the labor force in order to fill the gap created by the men who were in the army. After the war, men resumed their former positions and women continued to play a minor role in the workforce.

The successful outcome of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s was the passage of a series of laws that combated racial discrimination and that expanded employment and education opportunities for minorities. However, while women were offered equal opportunity in the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibited sex discrimination in employment, they continued to face significant prejudice on the job. They were excluded from top positions and were significantly underpaid. For example, the average working woman in 1963 earned only 63 percent of what a man earned.

Women’s growing frustration gave birth to the movement that demanded that women receive their due. It encouraged women to defy the roles assigned to them by society.

In 1963, Betty Friedan, touted as the woman who began the Women’s Liberation Movement, published her book “The Feminine Mystique.” Friedan attributed women’s depression to their subservience to men in all capacities. The term “feminine mystique” referred to the image women tried to conform to in spite of being unfulfilled. Friedan urged women to find their way out of the box and to seek new personal and professional identities.

In 1966, the National Organization for Women (NOW) was established to take action to help American women achieve full participation in mainstream American society. Feminist organizations reached new heights and expanded their influence in the 1970s when Gloria Steinem founded Ms. Magazine. The title aimed to distance women’s image from the traditional “Mrs.” which reflected their marital status. Ms. Magazine conveyed the image of women who defined themselves rather than being identified with their husbands.

Resource by A.Moore

I just moved to Michigan from South Carolina. This is my first winter here and so far it's freezing. I enjoy traveling, drawing, camping, writing, and doing community service in my spare time. I work for a education company and help them with their outreach to teachers and students. Hope everyone enjoys my articles.

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