To those who experienced the whole womens' lib era...?

Question

Looking back, what do you see as the pros and cons of women's liberation over the past 30 years?

Answer 1

Trust me on this; there are NO cons.

I was active during the women's movement - also Civil Rights and anit-Vietnam protests.

Before the women's movement, women couldn't get car insurance on their own. Had to be under your hubby, father's name. When #1 and I divorced, I was living in a state where insurance is mandatory. Nobody would insure me so I was put on a "high risk" list and finally got picked up by some out-of-state company with ultra-high premiums....forget that I had never had an accident or moving violation. On the other hand, the ex had totalled 3 cars...all his fault..he didn't have a problem.

You couldn't just divorce. There was no such thing as "no fault". Someone had to take the "blame". This led to a lot of lying in court about adultery, abandonment, mental cruelty, etc. Stupid!

Couldn't get a credit card in your own name - not even a store card. You had to have your husband "co-sign" the application.

You could be terminated from your job if a qualified male applied for it.

Many, many bars and lounges would not serve women at the bar....many wouldn't even let women IN the bar area.

You were frowned upon for wearing slacks anywhere except for strictly athletic events or family back yard barbecues.

Heaven forbid, you didn't wear a bra - and a girdle-or wore a dress with no slip and no nylons.

You were not invited to political gatherings - except to help serve the food. If you showed up - and didn't help with the food - you were expected to sit quietly at the back of the room.

When birth control pills became available, many pharmacies wouldn't fill them..many more required your husbands OK before they would fill it.

You couldn't get a tubal ligation without a written permission from your husband, signed in the doctors office.

Being considered a second class citizen is the worst thing that can happen to a person...

We still have a long, long way to go. I think we are headed in the right direction but there are those who would remove or reduce our rights..... They will once again try to take control of our bodies, our finances, our freedoms. Look how they try to chip away at Roe v Wade.

Many of the male species would be just as happy if we went back to barefoot, pregnant and quiet and completely submissive to the male.

Ain't gonna happen with this chick....nor her daughters or grandaughters....fer shure.

Answer 2

1) Women have come back to bras...Sagging was never "in" with men or women, and I would think that it could be just downright painful at times, especially when running.
2) A woman will probably be running for President this year...if she is NOT elected, there is something seriously wrong with other women! It would seem to me that women's worst enemies are other women! Men do not set up rivalries between themselves as I have seen in many women...not all, but many!!!!!
3) Job opportunities have opened up completely in most areas...but pay is not equal!
4) Women no longer need a husband to survive in culture, to have children, etc. AND that is a very good thing. Remember the times when divorce was NOT an option, that divorced women were outcasts! And, a child out of wedlock suffered its entire life because of it...that has abated to a great extent, thankfully. As Elinore Roosevelt once said, "there are no illegitimate children, only illegitimate parents."
5) The cost to women for this " freedom" has been that often they are treated as equals..and to some, that is distrubing. Many women want to be treated as queens, yet act like a King...have it one way or the other, but both just don't happen.
6) I prefer to think of women as equal in every way to men..they are certainly as intelligent, think more with their brains than with their genitals (although I sincerely doubt that this is true with many teens). The downside is that I see far too many teen girls base their worth on whether or not they have a boyfriend...here, the world has turned upside down. There was a time when it was the guy who felt lucky to have a girlfriend, today it is the opposite.
Good luck, good question Goldwing

Answer 3

Cons:
Continuing divisiveness based on the choices women make, lack of respect for differing views-from both sides of this issue!
The tendency of some people to equate women's lib with man-hating.
Domestic Abuse is still startlingly high in the US.
Women and Men are still often judged by different standards, they can say or do the exact same thing and be percieved very differently by those around them.

Pros:
More equitable opportunities, although not completely equal in every situation.
Merit is more often recognized than gender.
The value of both mothers and fathers interacting with their children is more often recoginzed; rather than rigid roles expected.
Sally Ride, along with many other women.

Answer 4

So Women left their children unsupervised (for a career) or to be raised by strangers (in daycare) and you are surprised that men are rude? And why are you limiting it to men? And why are you limiting it to rudeness. Society as a whole is worse off because their mothers were more concerned with selfish desires like making money instead of putting their children first. But don't get me wrong. I respect and love female gender completely! If my wife wants a career, I will support her. I might stay at home to raise the children myself.

Answer 5

Working a Captain D's woman could only work on the counter or as a prep lady. Only in the late 80's is when women started to be manger. And in the early 90's men could work on the counter. But the women never made the same money as a man. And If you got hurt you no longer worked for them.

Answer 6

I think some of the pros are as women we have the opportunity to become any type of individual we wish to be and we have the control to take our lives in the direction we want to
however some of the set back that we suffer since we have so much power and control of our own lives men seem to feel insecure about and feel the need to put us down or challenge us but that only makes us work even harder in proving our self.

Answer 7

Ditto what Sandwich so eloquently stated...I might add however, that for many African American women we were 'liberated' eons ago...if that means working and having a full load at home too. When I was a child all the women in my family were employed full time as educators[with the exception of my mom, who was teacher certified but chose to stay home]...those women also ruled the roost so to speak! lol or at least their husbands said so...lol

Answer 8

In our male, dominated society, there are still many cons that go along with the pros.
The pros are still not up to standards in many ways, & the cons just keep getting worse.
I read all the ans. so far & agree with most either in part or whole.
Like any major change, that involves humans, it can take a looong time for things to settle into a groove to suit both parties.
In this case, it will take a major change, on the part of the male ego, for this to happen.

Answer 9

We were supposed to be "Wonder Woman" and do it all.
I think this led to a lot of insecurites for many women, they worked all day, came home took care of kids and a house and husband, learned to do repairs in their homes, cooking, cleaning, pay the bills, all of the responsibilities. When they became "tired" and "burned out", they felt like failures. It created a lot of pressure for women to "live up" to the standard. When marriages fail, it is usually the woman who has ALL the responsibilites to do it "all".

edit: Women are STILL not receiving equal pay unless it is a government job

Answer 10

pro: Enabled women who wished to work outside the home to do so.
Encouraged women to get better educations. With more choices than teacher or nurse.

Con: To many kids come home to empty homes.
Added stress for women who now work outside the home, raise the children and clean and cook.

I have also disliked the way the movement has gone. It appears to be mostly lesbians with democratic political agendas.