The Women's Strike for Equality was a strike which took place in the United States on August 26, 1970. It celebrated the 50th anniversary of the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment, which effectively gave American women the right to vote. The rally was sponsored by the National Organization for Women (NOW). Estimates ranged as high as 50,000 women at the protest in New York City and more protested throughout the country. At this time, the gathering was the largest on behalf of women in the United States. The strike, spearheaded by Betty Friedan, self-stated three primary goals: free abortion on demand, equal opportunity in the workforce, and free childcare. The strike also advocated for other second wave feminist goals more generally, such as political rights for women, and social equality in relationships such as marriage.
Historical context
At the time of the protest, women still did not enjoy many of the same freedoms and rights as men. Despite the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which prohibited pay discrimination between two people who performed the same job, women comparatively earned 59 cents for every dollar a man made for similar work. Women were also restricted in terms of their access to higher education. For example, Harvard University did not admit women until 1977. And regardless of education, women were generally channeled into one of four occupational choices: secretarial, nursing, teaching, or motherhood. Sandra Day O'Connor, the first female Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court, who graduated at the top of her class from Stanford Law School, was offered only secretarial jobs in Los Angeles law firms despite her prestigious degree. In 43 states, women were limited in the number of hours they could work and the amount of weight they could carry (generally no more than , the size of a toddler, as some feminists noted). In many states, women were also unable to obtain credit cards, make wills, or own property without a husband. The right to serve on a jury was denied to women in some states.!
Organization
Feminist Betty Jameson Armistead sent a letter to Betty Friedan and others proposing the strike. Betty Friedan, writer of The Feminine Mystique, and a leader of second-wave feminism, then planned the protest to commemorate the anniversary of landmark legislation, and spotlight current battles. She said the movement was in need of "something big, something so big it will make national headlines". Friedan initially proposed the strike to the National Organization for Women, an organization which she had helped found. Members were hesitant, however, fearful that the protest would not be successful, and could create a mockery of their movement.
Friedan continued to develop a strategy, months in advance, despite the negative reception. The initial planning meeting was small and chaotic; planners sat in a circle and discussed possible strategies without a real leader or any formal organization. The meeting produced nothing tangible or relevant. As the plans progressed, so did the controversy. In the final month leading up to the event, the group was significantly divided into two factions: the young "radical, crazies" and the "bourgeoisie" founders.
Eventually, Friedan prevailed, avoiding deep divisions by recruiting women and men, liberals and conservatives alike. Friedan sought permission from the city of New York to close Fifth Avenue for the protest. The city refused.
The strike
Despite the setback, women gathered on the streets at around 5 pm (chosen so that working women could attend) and began protesting. The New York action included chanting and speeches by prominent figures (including Friedan), as well as signs and posters. Crowd estimates put somewhere between ten and twenty thousand people, mostly women, gathered on Fifth Avenue. Police attempted to keep the crowd restricted to one lane of traffic, but the sheer volume of people was impossible to control and they spread across the street from sidewalk to sidewalk.
Thousands of politically and satirically charged signs dotted the crowd. "Don't iron while the strike is hot" set the stage as the protest's famous slogan. Others included: "Hardhats for Soft Broads", "I Am Not a Barbie Doll", "Storks Fly – Why Can't Mothers", "We are the 51% minority", and the sardonic "We have the right to vote for the man of our choice". Speeches were given to ignite the crowd and inform bystanders. Friedan spoke of the strength and ability of women to rise above their oppression. The strike's goals were to publicize the feminist movement and ideas and to expose the injustices experienced by women.