KEY TERMS Key Terms and People to Know for the Regents Exam
Feminist Movement
After WWII, many women had become housewives and homemakers while their husbands worked. In the 60s and 70s, women began protesting for better access to jobs and for more equality and respect in the home, the workplace, and society.
The Feminine Mystique
Betty Friedan’s book revealed that many women were dissatisfied with the limitations of life as housewives. Friedan founded the National Organization for Women (NOW) to fight for equality for women in society.
Equal Rights Amendment
This proposed amendment would have made it unconstitutional to discriminate against people passed on their gender. The amendment was ratified by many states, but not enough to be added to the Constitution.
Title IX
This portion of a 1972 federal education law requires equal division of school funds for activities (especially sports) for girls and boys. Before Title IX, there were very few girls sports programs.
Equal Pay
Although it is illegal to pay women different salaries for the same work, the average income for women is still lower than the average income for men (women, on average, are employed in lower-paying jobs).
Roe v. Wade
The Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution protects a woman’s right to privacy and the right to have an abortion. The abortion debate continues to divide America because some see it as a women’s rights issue, while others see it as ending a life.