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TP's for Women (WW2 - Economic (By 1945 there were 5 million more…
TP's for Women
WW2 - Economic
By 1945 there were 5 million more women in the workforce than 1940 - Many Married
- 350,000 joined armed forces
HOWEVER...
- Media pushed idea that it was an extension of a woman’s domestic role, and only short term
- Returning soldiers took jobs back – women expected to return to home
- The media portrayed the perfect American housewife – beauty, cooking and homes were the topics of magazines
Lanham Act (1940) had provided day care centres - gradually withdrawn between 1942-46 (despite the fact women had shown during the war they were capable of taking care of their homes nd children as well as work)
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greater importance than WW1 as they were able to retain many of the jobs even after men returned from war.
- a poll showed after war, 75% of women wanted to stay in employment
Legalisation of abortion
- The court would only rule on this specific case, so Roe’s legal team appealed to the Supreme Court
The SC first heard the case in 1971, and finally decided in Roe’s favour in January 1973
- The judgement was arrived at by Justice Harry Blackman, who decided that Roe’s right to privacy was protected by the terms of the 14th Amendment (recognised by Griswold v Connecticut) and that this encompassed a woman's decision to have an abortion
HOWEVER...
- However, its significance as a turning point with regards to the advancement of women's rights has been argued as being limited
- The reasoning behind the judgement was based on supporting doctors being the most appropriate source of treatment for their patient, rather than the government interfering in their work - NOT focused on the right of women to have their own say controlling their bodies
- It also triggered radical opposition - form of infanticide by the Church - could not be performed in Church hospitals
- Abortion rights galvanised anti-feminists into organised opposition under the leadership of Phyllis Schlafly - To them, women who presented the kind or arguments that were used to support abortion rejected their natural instincts and were not ‘real’ women
Roe’s lawyers - Sarah Weddington and Linda Coffee - argued that the abortion laws in Texas violated Norma McCorvey constitutional rights
POLITICAL implications
- The feminist movement at this time helped to increase the political awareness amongst the critical mass of women, which contrasted sharply with the apathy displayed by many women votes around the middle of the century
Societal shifts
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In the 1960’s there was a merging of the male and female roles and responsibilities in middle class homes.
- This shows that social CR were beginning to increase for women as they were aided by the increase in feminism, as the percentage of white women who supported feminists increased to 72% by 1985 as a result of the “new feminism”.
- This was also aided by the media who covered feminist moves such as crowning a sheep in the miss world’s competition.
- his therefore allowed women to be recognised as intellectual individuals who were able to move outside of ‘home and family’ and into more serious positions in the economy, thus benefitting also their economic CR as there was an increase of 28% in women workers in the 1970’s.
HOWEVER...
- Some didn't want to give up the idea of 'separate spheres' which hindered the movement
WW1 - Economic
Women replaced the roles men left when they went overseas to serve their country, as well as filling new jobs brought into existence by wartime needs
- Approximately 11 000 women served in the Navy as nurses, and more than 1 million women worked in industry 1917-18
HOWEVER...
- women were paid half the wages of men and worked in conditions which were sometimes dangerous and unhealthy eg. munitions factories
- Female workers were also less unionized than male workers - This was because they tended to do part-time work and to work in smaller firms which tended to be less unionised - Existing unions were often hostile to female workers
- The war did not raise women’s wages - Employers got around wartime equal pay policies by employing several women to replace one man, or divided skilled tasks into several less skilled stages
- Short term impact - married women expected to return to their former role following the end of the war
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New Deal 1933 - FDR
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- reforming organisations, seeking to develop women's rights had access to a sympathetic administration. - Eleanor Roosevelt spoke for women's groups. Frances Perkins became secretary for labour and the influential AA reformer Mary McLeod Bethune was director of the National Youth Administration.
- FDR appointed women to leading positions, e.g. first female Appeal Court judge, Florence Allen, ambassador - Ruth Bryan Owen and Nellie Taylor Ross = director of the US mint.
- Reforms, e.g. the Fair Labour Standards Act (1938) and the National Recovery administration's limits on hours and its minimum wage policy, indirectly benefitted women.
- The welfare benefits of the social security act of 1935 helped married women struggling with bringing up children in the depression.
- pp'd in political activity and also to unionise. Between 1930-40 there was a 300% increase in unionised female labour. More married women also in 1940. may have reflected a need for employers to keep down costs as female labour was cheaper.
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- Belief that pay should not be equal was established by the National recovery administration.
- Women in domestic work did not benefit from a lot of New deal legislation. industries in the S dis by legislation, which raised costs. Agricultural policies were unhelpful for AA women who worked as sharecroppers.
- The priority of ND was to get men back to work. FDR and his administration, inc female advisors, felt the stability of the family depended on male breadwinner.
- Much was made of the women advisory but these were often restricted to traditional women's roles e.g. advising on social policy and family matters. The number of women who took an active part in general political life and national decision-making did not radically improve in the FDR era.
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