The entire feminist movement is as old as Eve.  Sappho, Abigail Adams, Anais Nin and hundreds of female writers in between have expressed sexual, economic, and philosophical viewpoints to counter the status quo.  It took years to deconstruct Freudian psychology, Victorian chauvinism, and the cavemen.  We are still trying, over some issues, yet there have been huge benefits resulting from these combined voices of Feminism.

The Feminist movement which peaked most recently in the late 1960’s through the 1970’s, was much-needed after those conservative Post-WWII years in America.  Many women who had jobs over the war years had given them up to the returning men.  They stayed home, had children, did volunteer work, and were incredibly bored.  Well, this is a gross generalization, but there was not much intellectual encouragement other than for a growing materialism and shallow complacency among most suburban housewives during those years.  America had tranquilized, patronized and homogenized its women!

The young women who were maturing at this time had a lot of questions beyond the usual teen rebellion.  They became more informed and vocal with the landmark publications by Gloria Steinem, Maya Angelou, Camille Paglia, Betty Friedan,  Marilyn French, etc.  Women learned to question authority.  They realized that they did not want the same lives their mothers had settled for.  Homemakers may still need to be acknowledged as the economic force they are, but headway has been made.

 It was much more than bra-burning!  Women’s Rights, choices and birth-control became safe and legal. Many of the mothers had awakenings, and went back to school, college, and/or jobs. The spirit of the early Suffragettes returned!  MS magazine became the first publication that did not stoop to dictation by male chauvinist advertisers. Women’s Studies became a legitimate field of academia.  Tina Turner broke loose and wrote her own songs!

The male military-industrial complex had created a world without women.  The glass ceiling had been installed in too many corporate headquarters.  Clothing was ridiculous…as any women who ever wore a girdle and uncomfortable heels will attest.

Medicine was male-dominated, with pat answers and lots of “mother’s little helpers” for women’s complaints. “The Stepford Wives” were more than just a movie, unfortunately.

They were a metaphor for the extreme manipulation that men practiced those earlier years.  Sexuality was for men.  It took the Kinsey Report to include women!  And definitely Mae West and Anais Nin helped, too…

 Women were harassed in the workplace, paid much less than men (this has improved a bit…) Females were exploited and passed-over for promotion.  The movie “Nine to Five” with Jane Fonda, Bette Midler, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton is a perfect and hilarious depiction of those years for corporate women.  “I Am Woman” by Helen Reddy was a top hit inspiring many girls to compete and win, thinking beyond their conditioning.  It worked.

Enlightenment was slow at first, but men finally started to GET it, and much was changed.  Consciousness was raised, in groups or by the media, and beyond all the strident voices, there was a new calm determination that made an amazing difference in women’s collective self-esteem, levels of ambition, and achievement.  It was a movement that grew like wildfire.  Those women were ready!

It would be impossible to name all the breakthroughs and achievements that resulted from the impetus begun by the Feminist Movement.  Women have proven themselves, mentored others, and saved lives and minds with the positive thinking and self-image restored by this sweeping social change.  It is a shame that the young girls of today feel so entitled and unimpressed by all that the feminists restored and created for them, the future of womanhood.  Yet, history has acknowledged the good work of this extra step in Human Rights, and many will go on to spread the word in Third World countries.  Who knows?  We may even achieve World Peace if women can take over!