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The Feminine Mystique and the rise of second-wave feminism

19 February 1963·Culture, arts & philosophy·North America (United States)·
19 February 1963Date
Culture, arts & philosophyCategory
7Empires active
Date
19 February 1963
Category
Culture, arts & philosophy
Region
North America (United States)
Era
Contemporary
Significance

Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique, published on 19 February 1963, gave voice to the dissatisfaction of many American women confined to domestic roles in the post-war suburbs.

Coining the phrase 'the problem that has no name', Friedan challenged the assumption that women could find fulfilment solely through marriage, housework and child-rearing. The book sold over a million copies and is widely credited as a catalyst of second-wave feminism, which broadened the agenda beyond suffrage to workplace equality, equal pay, reproductive rights, and an end to legal and cultural discrimination. In 1966 Friedan co-founded and led the National Organization for Women (NOW). The movement she helped energise drove landmark changes through the 1960s and 1970s, including anti-discrimination legislation, the spread of women into higher education and paid work, and intense debates over family, sexuality and gender roles. Though centred on the United States, second-wave feminism paralleled and influenced women's movements across Western Europe and other regions, reshaping social norms for generations.

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