How far were the lives of American women changed by the feminist movement of the 1960s?

The feminist movement of the 1960s brought significant changes to the lives of American women, particularly in terms of legal rights, workplace participation, and the dynamics within the home.  However, the extent and permanence of these changes are complex and have been subject to ongoing debate. 

The 1960s and 1970s saw several important laws and court decisions that directly impacted women’s lives.  Previously, women faced a number of legal restrictions – e.g., in some states a married woman could not make a legal contract, obtain a credit card without her husband's signature, or serve on a jury.  The Equal Pay Act of 1963, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972 aimed to outlaw gender discrimination and promote equal opportunities in the workplace and education.  Title X of the Family Planning Act of 1970 gave access to contraceptives as a civil right, and the Supreme Court's Roe v Wade decision in 1973 confirmed a woman's right to an abortion, landmark achievements for women’s reproductive rights.  These legal changes significantly improved women’s autonomy and rights, although barriers remained, notably the persistent wage gap and embedded discriminatory attitudes (both in men, and in conservative women).  So whilst the laws of the 1960s and 1970s provided essential protections and opportunities, full gender equality was not achieved. 

The feminist movement also had a huge impact on women’s participation in the workplace.  Before the 1960s, women were largely excluded from many professions and high-paying jobs.  They faced discrimination in hiring, limited opportunities for advancement, and were routinely paid significantly less than men for the same work.  Women were also banned from certain jobs entirely, such as those requiring physical strength or those felt too dangerous or inappropriate for women.  President Kennedy’s Commission on the Status of Women highlighted these disparities in 1963, revealing that women earned only 59% of what men earned.  The feminist movement led to important legal reforms, such as President Johnson’s Executive Order 11375, which opened up many jobs to women that had previously been reserved for men.  However, the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, which was supposed to ensure compliance, made slow progress, leading to the formation of NOW in 1966 and the 1970 women’s Strike for Equality.  Women remained underrepresented in the highest-paying professions and leadership positions, and the wage gap persisted.  Women of color remained disproportionally discriminated against, leading to a feeling that the feminist movement was too dominated by white, middle-class women, and the formation of the National Black Feminist Organisation in 1973.  The feminist movement undeniably raised awareness of women’s disparities in the workplace, but equality with men was not achieved. 

The feminist movement also challenged traditional gender roles within the home.  In the 1950s and early 1960s, women were largely expected to be homemakers, dedicating their lives to raising children and supporting their husbands.  Sociologists and psychologists of the time told women that they were naturally suited for these roles, and neglecting them would lead to unhappiness and neuroses.  However, as more women entered the workforce and gained education, feminists began to question these traditional roles.  Betty Friedan’s 1963 book The Feminine Mystique highlighted the dissatisfaction many women felt with their lives as homemakers, and Sociologist Alice Rossi, in 1964, argued that women who worked outside the home were more independent and provided better role models for their children.  The feminist movement encouraged women to get out of the house into a career, to seek greater equality within the home, demanding more involvement from their husbands in housework and decision-making (a shift which contributed to a rise in the divorce rate).  However, whilst the movement undoubtedly succeeded in getting people to question traditional gender roles, many women today are still overburdened with work and family responsibilities compared to their partners. 

Thus 1960s feminism brought about significant legal and cultural changes … but:
•  the persistence of the wage gap (in 2021 the average female wage was still only 82% of the average male wage);
•  underrepresentation of women in leadership roles (women are CEOs of only 11% of the top 500 US companies);
•  the backlash against feminism, shown in the conservative activism of people like Phyllis Schlafly and the failure to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment; and
•  the 2022 reversal of Roe v Wade and the banning of abortion in many states,
show that the movement’s goals have not been achieved.  The legacy of the feminist movement of the 1960s is one of ongoing struggle rather than success.