Betty
Friedan (born Bettye Naomi Goldstein) was an American activist,
feminist and writer whose 1963 book, The Feminine Mystique,
helped launch the modern feminist movement in the second half
of the 20th century. She co-founded the National Organization
of Women (NOW) in 1966 and served as its first president. NOW,
the largest feminist organization, with more than ½ million members,
works to "take action to bring women into full participation in
society-sharing equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities
with men, while living free from discrimination." In 1970, on
the 50th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment granting women the
right to vote, Friedan organized the massive nationwide Women's
Strike for Equality and other major events and lobbying activities
in support of the Equal Rights Amendment. She continued to be
a leading voice for equal rights, and acted as a voice of moderation,
stressing the need for feminism to move away from fighting against
men to focus on working WITH men for a "domestic agenda" of child
care, health care, access to affordable housing and livable wages,
to help women and men raise healthy families together.
