Feminist Critique By Betty Friedan

Feminism is the social, political, and economical equality of the sexes. Second-wave focuses specifically on reproductive rights, sexuality, marriage, and rape issues. The movement started as a delayed reaction against the renewed domesticity of women after World War II: the late 1940s post-war boom, which was an era of economic growth, a baby boom, a move to family-oriented suburbs, and the ideal of marriages. There was a push of the double standard that it was okay for men to explore their sexuality and that girls just simply don’t do that. The world of women was very strict and a narrow path. They were expected to get married young, quickly start a family, and devote their life to their home. As one woman at the time put it, "The female
As one feminist wrote, "The women's movement is a non-hierarchical one. It does things collectively and experimentally (Napikoski). But women such as Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem were the most famous influences from this time period. Friedan is the author of The Feminine Mystique (1963) and the founder and first president of the National Organization for Women (NOW). In her book Friedan explores the unhappiness of mid-20th century women. She describes women’s unhappiness as “the problem that has no name.” Women felt this sense of depression because they were forced to be subservient to men financially, mentally, physically, and intellectually. The feminine “mystique” was the idealized image to which women tried to conform despite their lack of
She also took the lead in launching the pioneering, feminist Ms magazine. It began as an insert in New York magazine in December 1971; its first independent issue appeared in January 1972. Under her direction, the magazine tackled important topics, including domestic violence. Ms. became the first national publication to feature the subject on its cover in 1976 (History Staff).
These women just wanted to show their frustrations with their lives and the unfulfillment they were feeling. They were focused on dismantling workplace inequality, such as denial of access to better jobs and salary inequity, via anti-discrimination laws (Tavaana). There was no security for women in the workplace. Employers didn’t have to hire them or explain to them why they were not hired. They would be easily turned away, and no one would do anything about it, because that was just how it