FYS The Fifties

When we were handed the reading from the National Organization for Women’s, I recognized their signature acronym of NOW. After Googling this organization I was brought to their website http://www.now.org/; I realized that I have been to this website a few times before. Ever since elementary school I have been studying feminists and their movement, from doing a poster on Susan B. Anthony to writing my final research paper on Virginia Woolf, this has been a subject that has always interested me. In our reading from class, the statement of Purpose from NOW was written in 1966, when the organization was once formed. In their statement they say “NOW is dedicated to the proposition that women, first and foremost, are human beings, who, like all other people in our society, must have the chance to develop their fullest human potential.” (Statement of Purpose) This statement is one that may not have been agreed with by many in 1966, but today it is something that most everybody can agree with. The ideas of this organization were new and innovative at the time, but today seem to be common knowledge.

The issues that are addressed in that original statement and the issues that are listed on their current website, have some similarities. Some of the more contemporary issues on the website are abortion and reproductive rights, as well as lesbian rights, which were issues not addressed when NOW was first established. A common issue between the 1966 statement and the website today, is the issue of economic justice for women. In the 1966 statement they address that “in 1964, of all women with a yearly income, 89% earned under $5000 a year; half of all full-time year round women workers earned less than $3,690; only 1.4% of full-time year round women workers had an annual income of $10,00 or more.”(Statement of Purpose) The issue that women are not being equally paid is one that is still very current. On NOW’s website, under the issue of economic justice they provide a link to a petition for “Pay Equality NOW!” They also have a list of current events about unequal pay, as well as general information including a link to a PDF about Wal-Mart and women.

In NOW’s original statement they say that “IN THE INTERESTS OF THE HUMAN DIGNITY OF WOMEN, we will protest, and endeavor to change, the false image of women now prevalent in the mass media, in the texts, ceremonies, laws, and practices of our major social institutions.”(Statement of Purpose) This pledge that NOW has made has been kept up from 1966 to present day. On their website they include a tab titled action, and it encourages people to take action! It provides links that give options for you to get involved and take action for women’s rights. NOW also gives all the links to the various chapters across the country that anybody can join if they choose. While this organization has different issues to face now a days, it still has the same main purpose of equality for women and more currently, equality for all.

-Julia D