Gloria Steinem Research Paper

First and foremost, the fight for women’s rights is something that has occurred throughout time not only in the United States, but in every part of the world. When it comes to the United States, one cannot deny that it was an important historical event. “The struggle for women’s suffrage in the United States had occupied better part of a century” (Source 1). Truly a struggle, for it was not acknowledged by men in the past, primarily white man who had full rights in the nation. Susan B. Anthony was an important leading figure of the Suffrage Movement and contributed to the Suffrage Movement.

She was a well respected woman that many thought was going to lead woman in the fight for equal rights.

Economically and socially the movement gained women more rights and privileges. The Women's Rights Movement granted women more political rights like property rights. It changed how both genders saw one another and themselves. But did it really give women and men equality? Did it really make everything better?

The idea of peacekeeping and the maintaining of order began centuries ago. However, long ago women were not involved in this. As women did enter within 20th century their role was limited. As time passes, change takes place.

Rosa Parks, also called the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement,” was given the NAACP's Spingarn Medal and the Martin Luther King, Jr. nonviolent-peace prize. Rosa Parks was also awarded the Eleanor Roosevelt Woman of Courage award in 1984. Rosa’s influence and impact on the society is one that can never be replaced. Rosa was not only the person who took that seat, but she has plenty of respect because of her personality as a strong willed woman. Where did all this began?

Betty Friedan believed that women should feel and be treated equal to men. Friedan fought for women to embody their power and worth. She was an activist for the women’s rights movement and a founder of the National Organization for Women (NOW). Her book, The Feminine Mystique, connected with her readers by illustrating the standards that women were put under for decades. In the 60’s, women were viewed as nothing but maids and child-bearers. Many women were hesitant to take a stand for this taboo subject; their own rights. Friedan took initiative when everyone else was afraid to. Betty Friedan’s contribution clearly advanced the progression of women’s equality. She accomplished this by writing her famous book, giving a debatable speech, and founding the National Organization for Women.

Rights movement. She was willing to go the distance to get the equal rights she felt was owed to

The Mother of the Civil Rights Movement Rosa Parks is one of the most famous people in the history of the American Civil Rights movement, for her refusal to “move to the back of the bus” on December 1, 1955. Although her moment of protest was not a planned event , it certainly proved to be a momentous one. The nature of Rosa Park’s protest, the response of the authorities of Montgomery, the tactics adopted by the civil rights leaders in Montgomery, and the role eventually played by Federal authority, were all aspects of this particular situation that were to be repeated again and again in the struggle for equality of race. Rosa Parks’ action, and the complex combination of events that followed, in some measure, foreshadowed a great deal of

After the right was denied, many advanced women, such as Frances wright and Ernestine Rose, had been pursuing to seek women’s suffrage right. According to History.com, they hosted the most famous convention, which is Seneca Falls, and this convention had also opened the door of the women’s suffrage movement. There were many suffragists that attended the convention, and they also declared their claims and to outside that they wanted their rights back and to be as equal as men. The Seneca Falls convention was not only the first women’s suffrage movement, but it was also the most important one because it encouraged women to keep seeking their rights with confidence. You can image how hard they were doing all of those events. In the convention, they were giving speeches, planning their wonderful future for all of women and giving their opinion in any many areas, especially in political

After the civil war, she focused more on women rights. She helped Elizabeth Cady Stanton establish the American Eagle Rights Association which called for the same rights to be granted to all regardless in her efforts traveling giving speeches to convince others to support women rights to vote. In 1872 she voted illegally taking matters into her own hands she was arrested for crime, and she fought the charges but failed. In the early 1880s, she published the first volume of history of women suffrage. Several more would follow up, although it was challenging in her later years she didn’t give up on her fight for women suffrage.

Women’s Rights was and still is a major issue throughout the entire world, but more specifically, in the United States of America. Women have been treated unjustly for awhile. From being beaten by their husbands, to not being able to own property if they were married, women have been through it all. Many of these situations started to change because of a group of women that decided to stand up for what they believe in. A few activists that helped improve the rights of women are Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucretia Mott.

Gloria Steinem was one of the most important leaders of the second wave of the women’s rights movement. As both an indirect and direct leader, she embodied her story by giving speeches and writing books and articles to help empower women across the United States and beyond. As she grew up in American society where sexism was present, she told an innovative story with visionary elements to prove to women that they were more than what society said they were. Her strong and feisty personality added to her success and I will argue that these factors along with her appearance helped her to be a major player and the face of the women’s rights movement.

    While Steinem made some very compelling and logical arguments she also made some critical errors in my opinion. She attempts to debunk myths

During the 1900s there were very many problems. From two worlds wars the great depressions, the civil rights movement. Another big dispute during this era was women’s rights. In this time period women did not have the same rights that men did. Some women wanted this to change and wanted to be equal to men. Other women believed that the rights they already had were all they needed and their spot in society was connected to tradition. Gloria Steinem and Phyllis Schlafly were two women that disagreed on this issue. Steinem expressed her beliefs in her speech Equal Rights for Women- Yes and No and Schlafly stated her beliefs in her speech What’s Wrong with “Equal Rights” for Women? Both of these speeches gave very convincing points about their

Steinem starts working on a publication for journalism for women’s movement. Ms. first independent issue in 1972 was so successful it received funding from Warner Communications. As said, “one of the most influential publications of the era” (Newsmakers). In 1971, Steinem joins two other feminists, Bella Abzug and Betty Friedan, in forming the National Women’s Political Caucus. She was a founding member of the Women’s Action Alliance and Ms. Foundation for Women, which helps create Take Our Daughters To Work Day. She worked on civil rights for all people and against pornography and militarization. President Jimmy Carter appointed her to the National Committee on the Observance of International Women’s Year in 1977. She organized the National Women’s Conference in Houston. “The conference is the first to be backed by the US government, and its purpose was not lawmaking but proposing recommendations for widespread gender equality” (CNN). In 1983 Steinem book Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellion is published. Said to have earned “strongly positive reviews” (Newsmakers).