Women's Rights Movement Dbq

The women’s rights movement had all but disappeared after the adoption of the 19th Amendment in 1920. However, in the post-World War II period, women increasingly realized that they continued to face obstacles in achieving equality in American society. Throughout the history of the nation, women in the United States have always suffered from discrimination and were inferior to men. Women quickly realized that change was needed and they had to do something about it. After World War II, women were extremely disappointed because many were separated with the work place and were also dissatisfied with their lives because they felt bored a restricted. Women came together to try to achieve equality after the war by creating the National Organization for Women (NOW) and attempt to pass the Equal Rights Amendment. The struggle women were put through in the past have now helped the rights and treatment of women today. After World War II, women were dissatisfied with their roles and wanted equality. After the war, about two million women lost their jobs (Doc 1). They were told they didn’t want to work, and were forced to become homemakers and became separated from the workplace (Doc 1). Women began to question, “Is this all there is?” (Doc 2). They only made beds and shopped for groceries; women felt restricted and led boring lives (Doc 2). Women were also disappointed because there were only certain jobs available to them; mostly clerical work such as domestic service, retail sales, social work, teaching and nursing (RBP 983). These jobs paid poorly and no matter what, women were always made fewer wages than men. Women were also upset because they were denied easy access to education unlike men, and wanted to have a career outside of the home but could not because their lack of schooling. Women were not provided the same amount of opportunities as men and were very dissatisfied with their boring, restricted lives. Such lives led some women to organize small groups to