Women's Strike for Equality (1970)
Wed Aug 26, 1970
Image: Various protesters on the street, holding signs that say "WOMEN STRIKE FOR PEACE AND EQUALITY", "I'M NO BREEDER FOR THE MAN'S WAR", "SISTERHOOD IS POWERFUL - END THE WAR!", and "THE WOMEN OF VIETNAM ARE OUR SISTERS"
On this day in 1970, on the 50th anniversary of the 19th amendment, nearly 60,000 feminists marched throughout the United States in the "Women's Strike for Equality", demanding free abortion, equal work opportunities, and free childcare. At that time, the protest was the largest on behalf of women in the U.S. history.
The rally was sponsored by the National Organization for Women (NOW). The strike primarily took place in New York City, where 50,000 women gathered in protest. Thousands more protested in solidarity throughout the country, including in Boston, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Washington D.C., and San Francisco.
A key organizer of the protest was Betty Friedan, noted second wave feminist and then-president of NOW. The event had three primary goals: free abortion on demand, equal opportunity in the workforce, and free childcare. At the time, women made $.59 cents to every dollar a male counterpart made and many elite colleges did not yet admit women as students.
Although the strike did not directly win any concessions, Congress declared August 26th "Women's Equality Day" the following year with the support of President Richard Nixon. The protest was a successful consciousness-raising event, with some feminist scholars claiming that the strike was a significant spark for second wave feminism.
- Date: 1970-08-26
- Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, www.thoughtco.com, wams.nyhistory.org.
- Tags: #Feminism, #Protests.
- Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org