Knowra National Organization for Women National Organization for Women The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist organization founded in 1966 to pursue equality for women through political and legal action.
Betty Friedan : Betty Friedan was an American writer and feminist whose 1963 book The Feminine Mystique helped galvanize second-wave feminism. Her call for organized action helped inspire NOW’s founding.
Equal Rights Amendment : The Equal Rights Amendment is a proposed U.S. constitutional amendment guaranteeing equal legal rights regardless of sex. NOW made ratification a major campaign, organizing supporters and pressuring state legislatures.
Aileen Hernandez : Aileen Hernandez was an American labor leader and civil-rights activist who became the second president of NOW. Her presidency broadened the organization’s organizing and public advocacy.
National Woman's Party : The National Woman’s Party was an American political organization that campaigned for women’s suffrage and later the Equal Rights Amendment. It pursued constitutional equality before NOW and provided an earlier model of organized lobbying.
Second-wave feminism : Second-wave feminism was a movement, strongest in the 1960s and 1970s, that challenged gender inequality in law, work, family, and culture. NOW became one of the movement’s most prominent national organizations.
Pauli Murray : Pauli Murray was an American lawyer, priest, and civil-rights activist whose legal arguments influenced sex-equality law. Murray helped shape the legal vision behind NOW’s founding.
Roe v. Wade : Roe v. Wade was the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision recognizing a constitutional right to abortion. NOW supported abortion rights and opposed efforts to overturn the decision.
Martha Griffiths : Martha Griffiths was a U.S. representative who championed the Equal Rights Amendment and challenged sex discrimination in Congress. Her congressional work complemented NOW’s campaign for constitutional equality.
Women's Equity Action League : The Women’s Equity Action League was a U.S. feminist organization founded in 1968 to challenge discrimination through legal and institutional action. It shared NOW’s legal strategy but emphasized litigation and institutional reform.
Women's rights : Women’s rights are legal, political, and social rights concerning women’s equal status and freedom from discrimination. Advancing women’s rights is NOW’s central purpose.
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