National Organization for Women

The National Organization for Women (NOW) was one of the major forces in the revival of the women's movement in the United States during the 1960s. Founded in 1966, NOW champions women's rights and tries to influence legislation and public policy that affects women, providing an important public voice for women in the United States.

The creation of NOW is tied to author and activist Betty Friedan (1921–), whose best-selling 1963 book, The Feminine Mystique, is considered the wake-up call that re-energized the women's movement. Friedan's book highlighted the problems of inequality women were encountering in American society and that these problems were shared by millions of other women. At a 1966 convention, while discussing their common concerns, Friedan and others felt the time was right for a national women's organization that would pool the efforts of many women around the country to fight for women's rights. As a result, NOW was born. Friedan became its first president and was later succeeded by activist Gloria Steinem (1934–).

In the years since its founding, NOW has fought for women's rights on many issues. One of the most important has been reproductive rights, the right of women to control when and how they have children, including their right to abortion services. They have also fought for equal pay and for equal access to promotion at work. The organization also sought to put more women into elective office, figuring that if more women were in government, these women would make laws benefiting women. Issues of domestic abuse, sexual abuse, and sexual harassment have been important concerns for NOW. Over the years, NOW was instrumental in promoting greater equality for women. That success proved challenging for the group by the 1990s. As women achieved greater equality in American life, many saw less of a need to support NOW. Nevertheless, by the end of the twentieth century, NOW had chapters in all fifty states and had more than 250,000 members. Since it began in 1966, NOW has proved to be an effective force for positive change in women's lives.

—Timothy Berg

For More Information

Berkeley, Kathleen C. The Women's Liberation Movement in America. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999.

Friedan, Betty. The Feminine Mystique. New York: Dell, 1963.

National Organization for Women.http://www.now.org/ (accessed March 21, 2002).

Rowbotham, Sheila. A Century of Women. New York: Penguin Books, 1999.