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Fighting for Equality

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Submitted By xapples
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Fighting for Equality
SS310-12
April 29th, 2012 Feminism is defined as the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men (dictionary, 2012). The Feminist Movement that occurred in the 1960s was one of the most influential and life changing events that has happened throughout history. The last fight for equality that took place for females before this was during the early 1900s where women were fighting for the right to vote. It took 40 years for women to come together and fight for even more opportunities and rights that they deserved. This is one of the largest events that happened during this time and the event from the 1960s which has affected my life the most. The social and legal barriers before the Feminist movement of the 1960s suggested that women were second to men and were subordinate to men. A women’s place in life was to listen and obey. Women were discriminated against and exploited in the work place. They were denied the admittance to reproductive and sexual freedom (Goodwin, 1999). After a certain point, women had had enough. They began to join together and start fighting against the social norms and demanded equal rights because they will no longer be considered the “second sex”. Many laws were passed in the 1960s because of the fight these women went through. The first was The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (USA.GOV, 2012). The Equal Pay Act requires that men and women be given equal pay for equal work in the same establishment. Shortly after was the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibited discrimination against women. Birth control was also made available for women towards the end up the era. Women continued to fight for their rights since then and have thrived. Without the feminist movement occurring during this time, who knows what would have happened to women. I believe women would have been

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