Betty Ford Republican Feminist
Betty Ford “Republican Feminist”
Patricia Scurlock
05/11/2013
In her contributions to both the political and social arena, Betty Ford promoted the importance of women. While Betty’s time as the First Lady was a short one, she certainly left behind quite a legacy and touched the lives of many women. Betty spoke publicly about her diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer, she strongly lobbied and pushed for the Equal Rights Amendment, she openly supported and lobbied for legal abortion, and lastly she was very active in advocating better health care and addiction treatment for women. Betty Ford was considered the Republican Feminist, who demonstrated women could stand up and have a voice!
A short time after becoming the First Lady, Betty was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a radical mastectomy, an issue not commonly talked about outside of the woman or her home. It was during her recovery that Betty began recognizing her own power as First Lady and made the decision to go public. The antiquated ideal, as discussed in Barbara Welter’s article “The Cult of True Womanhood”,was that a woman’s submission was more than submitting to her husband, but it was also bearing her own crosses in silence and submitting to her own lot in life. And so began her public crusade and awareness for women and their own health; it was her statement, “The power was educational not political,” that helped relieve the stigma and shame surrounding women and their health. It was also the common 70’s theme for women that “our personal is political”. It was Betty’s sincerity and frankness that not only began paving the road for women, but also saving the lives of thousands.
Once recovered from surgery, Betty’s top priority became the Equal Rights Amendment, (initially proposed by women’s suffrage champion, Alice Paul); to fully respect and protect the rights of women. Betty believed that no woman should have to live up to a “standard”; that women had the right to their own
Patricia Scurlock
05/11/2013
In her contributions to both the political and social arena, Betty Ford promoted the importance of women. While Betty’s time as the First Lady was a short one, she certainly left behind quite a legacy and touched the lives of many women. Betty spoke publicly about her diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer, she strongly lobbied and pushed for the Equal Rights Amendment, she openly supported and lobbied for legal abortion, and lastly she was very active in advocating better health care and addiction treatment for women. Betty Ford was considered the Republican Feminist, who demonstrated women could stand up and have a voice!
A short time after becoming the First Lady, Betty was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a radical mastectomy, an issue not commonly talked about outside of the woman or her home. It was during her recovery that Betty began recognizing her own power as First Lady and made the decision to go public. The antiquated ideal, as discussed in Barbara Welter’s article “The Cult of True Womanhood”,was that a woman’s submission was more than submitting to her husband, but it was also bearing her own crosses in silence and submitting to her own lot in life. And so began her public crusade and awareness for women and their own health; it was her statement, “The power was educational not political,” that helped relieve the stigma and shame surrounding women and their health. It was also the common 70’s theme for women that “our personal is political”. It was Betty’s sincerity and frankness that not only began paving the road for women, but also saving the lives of thousands.
Once recovered from surgery, Betty’s top priority became the Equal Rights Amendment, (initially proposed by women’s suffrage champion, Alice Paul); to fully respect and protect the rights of women. Betty believed that no woman should have to live up to a “standard”; that women had the right to their own
Citations: Encyclopedia of World Biography, Vol. 20, 2nded. Detroit: Gale, 2004. P140-142. Copyright 1997-2003 Gale http://www.geraldfordfoundation.org/about/betty-ford-biography The Cult of True Womanhood, 1820-1860, Barbara Welter, American Quarterly, Vol 18, No.2, Part 1 (Summer, 1966) pp. 151-174 http://www.history.com/topics/betty-ford [ 1 ]. “The Cult of True Womanhood”, American Quarterly, Vol. 18, No.2, Part 1, (Summer, 1966) pp.151-174 [ 2 ]