By Liz Dohms, CJ 370

Feminism is an action, a movement towards equality. There are several connotations of the word, but generally it’s accepted as one weighed down by history. The movement of feminism has been proactive, social, dangerous and deadly. It has floundered and flourished and influenced humanity and its progress has been supported by daring feminists – the individuals behind the word.

Equality is moving forward and advancing towards success, but one question still remains. Who gets the credit for stepping out of the box, for putting down their kitchen knives and marching towards a complete societal shift?

The answers are numerous, but there is one organization that can be counted for its influence. In fact, it would be almost unacceptable to ignore it. The National Organization for Women exposed the problems facing the move towards equality.

But NOW’s influence cannot be understood or fully grasped without noting the reasons why it was organized in the first place.

In June of 1966, Betty Friedan was sitting among hundreds at the Third National Conference of Commissions on the Status of Women in Washington D.C. Themed “Targets for Action,” the conference was held to discuss, in part, the enforcement of Title VII, which would end sex discrimination at work. The delegates didn’t have the authority to pass a resolution or to enforce it. Friedan knew of two commissioners proposing that an organization speaking out in support of women’s issues would benefit the women’s movement.

So Friedan wrote NOW on a napkin and sparked a revolution towards equality.

According to NOW’s Web site, Rosalind Loring, an early NOW member, spoke regarding the anger some women felt during the conference, saying that there was a lot of emotion building up in a lot of women then, and they were ready to take charge.

In its beginning stages, NOW motivated the enforcement of Title VII, so that female flight attendants would no longer be fired for being married or for reaching age 35, and businesses could not advertise anymore for applicants on the basis of sex.

NOW didn’t stop there. According to the NOW Web site, in 1967, NOW called for an end to restrictions on abortion and moved to encourage “publicly-funded childcare.”

In 1968, NOW boycotted Colgate-Palmolive, protesting a company regulation that prohibited women from working in high positions.

In 1969, endeavors to establish courses in women’s studies at several universities including Princeton were taken on by NOW chapters.

In 1972, NOW fought nationally to pass a law allowing females equal opportunities in education. The law is known as the Education Amendment of 1972, which includes Title IX.

In 1973, NOW created a task force on rape. They started to build Rape Crisis Centers and began to set up hotlines nationwide.

In 1975, NOW initiated Take Back the Night in order to protest brutal treatment of women. In 1978, NOW protested against objectionable games, noting that games such as Playskool’s “When I Grow Up” should be eliminated. Quick notes in a memo secured in the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s archives, sent from Anne C. Hall, coordinator of the National Task Force, Image of Women to chapter presidents and others, read, “Match up puzzle. 21 males in varying occupations; three females; teacher, dancer, violinist.”

In 1978, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act was passed, which was designed to end discrimination against women based on their pregnancy status. The act was written by a member of NOW.

In 1984, NOW organized its first Lesbian Rights Conference in Milwaukee.

In 2004, NOW took credit for organizing the “largest civil rights march in US history” with a record number of more than one million people involved in the March for Women’s Lives.

NOW’s influence stretched beyond the national level and struck a little more close to home. In the 1972-73 school year, NOW became a functioning part of the Chippewa Valley, with a chapter of NOW declared part of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire system.

“It has barely begun, the search of women for themselves. But the time is at hand when the voices of the feminine mystique can no longer drown out the inner voice that is driving women to become more complete,” Friedan said that same year in the President’s Room of the Davies Center, according to UW-Eau Claire’s archival records.

Friedan’s words resonated in the minds of the members of NOW. It became their goal to push for equality and suffocate indifference.

According to the constitution of the Eau Claire chapter of NOW, “The purpose of the Eau Claire chapter shall be to take action to bring women into full participation in the mainstream of American society, NOW, exercising all the privileges and responsibilities thereof in truly equal partnership with men.”

In eight regular meetings each year, including the annual meeting, and for a fee of three dollars per year, this is what NOW set out to do.

In tandem with the national organization, the Eau Claire chapter implemented task forces to lead the organization in making changes. These task forces included, but were not limited to, reproduction, sexism in the schools, women in religion, and legislation.

In order to publicly inform active community members about the feminist movement, NOW, in association with the Women’s Community Center, published a monthly newsletter, many of which are now stored in the UW-EC archives. These newsletters included letters to the organization, developments in the organization, and updates on political happenings. For instance, one newsletter provided its readers with an informal petition against President Reagan on the basis of his anti-feminist beliefs. Calendars informing the public on walkathons, workshops, and speeches were also part of the newsletters.

A 1982 newsletter informed readers about a battered women workshop and a newsletter dated from 1983 notified the public about a meeting dealing with sex bias in textbooks. Generally, these newsletters mocked the patriarchy system by injecting comics, poetry and literature on a male versus female scale, though males interested in equality and their opinions were as sacred to the newsletters as any females’ opinions.

A strong affiliation to the women’s movement was built up by NOW, particularly because they played their part to advance the women’s movement on campus by deliberately forcing the public to pay attention to the problems at hand; however it was not the only organization or contributor to the movement. During the same time NOW became an organization here at the university, women’s studies classes were becoming more available too.

In an article written by Nancy Wesenberg, it is evident that the growth of women’s studies classes from the 1970s to today meshes well with the progression of the women’s movement.

“When the first courses focusing on women were offered at UW-EC during the 1972-73 academic year, after several years of discussions and conferences focusing on the emerging area of women’s studies, students could choose from three classes. During the spring 2009 semester alone, students could choose from 21 courses ranging from the 100 level course(s)…to nine upper level or graduate courses,” Wesenberg said.

The women’s studies program helped to bring more speakers dedicated to the women’s movement, and in collaboration with the feminist organizations on campus, this proved to be a well-rounded way of educating the public about the need for a feminist voice.

“More speakers on women’s issues and women’s studies began to be brought to campus, thanks to the effort of numerous women faculty members. Early examples include Betty Vetter of National Science Manpower, who spoke on women’s careers in math and science, and June Sochen, author of ‘Herstory: A Women’s View of American History,’ who spoke on the women’s movement,” Wesenberg said.

Even though NOW has retired from its post here at Eau Claire, there are a few other feminist organizations that are dedicated to the same advancements. Both Women’s and Gender Equity (WAGE) and the re-established College Feminists have taken over NOW’s former position.

WAGE is an organization set out to increase awareness and acceptance of women and women’s issues, all the while supporting other minority groups.

According to WAGE’s mission statement as seen on their Web site:

“The mission of the Women’s and Gender Equity Center is to advocate for the welfare of those who have historically been marginalized because of their sexual and/or gender identity. We will create a supportive environment that fosters feelings of good will, tolerance, and respect for people of all religions, races, socio-economic backgrounds, sexual orientations, and gender.”

Co-coordinator for WAGE, Tiffany Gerber, said, “Working at WAGE has helped me to understand the complexity and vast array of issues women face on a daily basis, not just on campus, but on a national and global level.”

WAGE has provided Gerber with an outlet to function as an educator in many different aspects.

“I have been able to help raise awareness on campus and within the Eau Claire community on a range of subjects such as violence against women, promoting GLBTQ pride, birth control resources, and much more. I have also been able to participate in classroom presentations to discuss gender and gendered language. I have also had the opportunity to network on campus with faculty and staff to promote a healthy and positive campus climate,” she said.

WAGE has increased attentiveness for and interest in women. Gerber said it is bringing, “issues to the forefront, helping students to understand what is going on in the world and how they can help.”

Betty Matthews and Emily Kopp, co-presidents for the College Feminists agree that a feminist voice on campus is necessary, also stating that they believe the women’s movement on campus is progressing. Matthews says that the College Feminists is more of an “educational resource for cultural visibility,” and that there is the “opportunity for networking and collaboration with other groups.”

The past year proved to be problematic for the College Fems, resulting in a break period last semester. But Matthews and Kopp decided to continue with the organization, recognizing the importance it has to the campus and community.

“If that lull is there, I want to make sure we’re bringing it back up – keep the momentum going,” said Matthews.

Kopp said that without the feminist presence, “patriarchy wins,” and this organization is one that will benefit both men and women.

Present feminist organizations have picked up where former feminist organizations left off, recognizing the change and importance these former perpetuators instilled in this community.

Although NOW ceases to exist as a chapter here at Eau Claire, it remains the largest feminist organization nationally. The members are still proactive and remain steadfast in their push for equality. Via their Web site, their audience has access to information on a number of issues, from abortion and reproductive rights to immigration. They provide news as it relates to the feminist movement and offer the public the capacity to confront issues of importance to them.

In June, they will hold the 2009 National NOW conference, when they plan to elect new officers – a fixed decree that takes effect every four years.

Nationally and locally, historically and presently, society is influenced by NOW. In a 1998 Declaration of Sentiments, NOW members reported, “Even when progress seems most elusive, we will maintain our conviction that the work itself is important. For it is the work that enriches our lives; it is the work that unites us; it is the work that will propel us into the next century. We know that our struggle has made a difference, and we reaffirm our faith that it will continue to make a difference for women’s lives.”

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