Show 1 r. r I IaME I f aME NS i 1 I r H Rk I W WH 0 E FEMINISM w ii aRA I 7 I J I I 10 1 I J i il J 11 I I i J j fr I I I J p t. t r I Ita r t J f. f 4 0 IJ r o I j I i fw iri ii i N Ni A i I j d c W w f HIs I By ALISON GODDARD Even though the advertisement advertisement advertisement advertise advertise- ment assures women they have the feminists feminists feminists fem fem- come a long way insist their sex is just taking its first baby steps toward toward toward to to- ward equality SO on August 26 they plan plana a day of protest That date is special because it marks the anniversary of the ratification ratification ratification cation of the Constitutional amendment guaranteeing wo wo- men men the right to vote Earlier Earlier Earlier Earl Earl- ier feminists the suffragettes fought for this Their modern successors ranee ranEe from the militant groups WITCH SCUM and others to the more conservative NOW organized originally by author- author Mrs Betty She became high priestess of the m movement with the publication in 1963 of her seller best-seller The Feminine Feminine Feminine Fem Fem- Mystique an indictment indictment indictment indict indict- ment of the traditional image of the American housewife UNFORTUNATELY the image image image im im- age of the feminist cause has been distorted somewhat by bythe bythe bythe the family anti men anti-men and bra anti-bra adherents But the movement is picking up both momentum and converts daily among middle-class middle middle- middle aged suburban housewives Essentially the feminists seek social political economic and domestic equality They hope to achieve this with the repeal of abortion laws establishment es establishment establishment es- es of day-care day centers centers centers cen cen- for women who choose to combine marriage and a career almost million 11 women women women wo wo- men with children under 18 are working mothers a sharing sharing sharing shar shar- ing of parental and domestic duties and an end to laws that discriminate against women wo wo- men THESE RANGE from protective protective protective pro laws in many states that effectively exclude wom women n from better belter jobs and higher pay par to laws that deny women independent independent inde inde- pendent credit or exclude the them from obtaining a mortgage to purchase a house In some states husbands can cansue cansue sue for divorce if the wife f fails ils to k keep ep the house cl clean S in one state a womans woman's cloth cloU legally belong to her husband d BOTH THE TIlE Civil Rights Act- Act of 1964 which prohibits discrimination discrimination discrimination dis dis- dis- dis crimination in employment on the basis of sex and the civil rights protest movement helped boom the feminist cause Also important are the nearly nearly nearly near near- ly million 30 women now in the labor market the majority major major- ity in relatively paying low-paying jobs AMERICAN women represent represent represent sent 51 percent of the lation By the year 2000 according according according ac ac- ac- ac cording to experts they willbe will willbe willbe be in an even greater percentage percent percent- age particularly among senior senior senior sen sen- citizens In their grandmothers' grandmothers generation generation generation gen gen- the average womans woman's life ended with her reproductive capacity But now women live livewell livewell livewell well beyond the menopause with a life expectancy of over 74 years UNDERSTANDABLY the longer life span can bring changes in the health well- well being and sex life of women For instance many menopausal menopausal menopausal meno- meno problems have been traced to hormonal imbalance because at menopause the female female female fe fe- fe- fe male body's production of estrogen estrogen estrogen es es- es- es trogen declines But it is now possible to relieve menopausal menopausal menopausal meno- meno symptoms by replacing replacing replacing ing the estrogen through medi medi- cation THE MAJORITY of mature women according to reports are hostile to the feminists Many tend to view this movement movement movement move move- ment as another demand for change in a society that has already changed too much Along with the changes in family life are others in institutions institutions institutions in in- that once helped strengthen the family religion religion religion re re- re- re ligion school law and govern govern- ment ADDED to these are the revolts of the young typified by the hippie cult the drug scene the sexual revolution campus unrest nudity in fashions fashions fashions fash fash- ions and pornography in mass entertainment But each victory the feminists feminists feminists fem fem- win will change the options options options op op- op- op if not the lives of all women Richard E E. Farson a California psychologist has said when women revolt all of us will change |