Do you know anything about the women's liberation movement? What are the ideas and goals of women's liberation? What issues are women's liberation concerned with? Does everyone agree with the ideas and goals of women's liberation?

    Have you heard of the women’s liberation movement? It began in the 1960s. It was started by women who were concerned about their identity, their role in society, and their work, and about the view of women that many people held. Now many American women are deeply concerned about these things. These women would like better and more interesting lives for all women everywhere.
     There are many aspects of the women’s liberation movement. Some women agree with all of the goals of women’s liberation. They want full equality with men in every aspect of life. In marriage, they want husbands and wives to share all of the work and responsibilities of a home and family. In work, they want women and men to have the same jobs and the same chance to succeed. They want women to be paid just as much as men are for the same work. Other women only agree with some of the ideas of women’s liberation. They want the same pay if they hold the same job as a man. At home, however, they do not expect their husbands to share in the cleaning, cooking, and other household jobs.
     It is important to remember that the women’s liberation movement is not concerned only with concrete issues. The movement is also concerned with attitudes and beliefs. One example of this concern is the issue of a woman’s identity. A woman’s identity is what she thinks of herself as a person, who she thinks she is, and what she thinks she can do. Some women do not think they are capable of doing anything important.¹ The women’s liberation movement would like to help these women improve their view of themselves. Many women who are concerned with women’s liberation have taken jobs, have helped others, have raised healthy children, and have done many other things to contribute to their communities.² They have shown that they are capable of being good leaders and of doing many important things.
     A second issue of the women’s liberation movement is the question of women’s roles. Should a woman work outside the home? Should she work if she is married and has children? Or should she stay home to take care of her husband and children? What will the rest of society think of her if she enters a profession or has a career? What will other people think if she wants to stay home and raise a family? These questions do not have just one correct answer. Every woman must decide her own role. The women’s liberation movement is trying to make it possible for a woman to decide what she wants to do. The movement also wants to make it possible for her to do the best and the most she possibly can.
     If a woman decides to take a job outside the home, there are many important questions which are raised. Can she get any job she is capable of and qualified for? Or are some jobs closed to her because she is a woman? If she gets a job and some of her fellow workers are men doing the same work, will she be paid as much as they are? This issue is considered important in the United States. The government has passed some laws to try to help women get any job for which they are qualified, and to help them get the same pay as a man for doing the same work. The government has also passed a law to encourage businesses that get money from the government to be fair to women and minority groups. This is called the Affirmative Action Law. It says that if a company is not fair to women and other minority groups, the government will not do business with that company. This encourages businesses to provide equal opportunity for women.
     Many people agree with the ideas and goals of women’s liberation. They feel that women ought to be considered equal to men in every way. They feel that a woman should be able to decide to stay home and raise a family, or to stay home and not raise a family, or to go out and work, or to have a job outside the home and a family as well. They feel a woman should be able to do anything that she wants to do and can do. Other people are opposed to women’s liberation.3 They do not think that women should have the same jobs and the same pay as men. They believe that men should do most or all of the important work. They feel that women belong at home, taking care of men and children. Many husbands do not want their wives to work outside the home. Some women agree with these men. People who believe in women’s liberation do not feel that it is bad for a woman to remain at home if she wants to. They believe that work in the home is important and should be respected. But they want to make sure that a woman works at home because she wants to, and not because she can’t get a job outside the home, or because she does not believe that she can do anything useful in her community.
     The women’s liberation movement is trying to give women a chance to show what they can do. Perhaps a woman will find the cure for our most serious disease. Perhaps a woman will solve the energy crisis. Perhaps women and men, working together, will be able to accomplish important things better and sooner than men would if men were working alone. If the women’s liberation movement is successful, we will have a chance to find out.
     Each man and each woman must decide whether he or she agrees with the ideas of the women’s liberation movement completely, partly, or not at all. Whether you agree or disagree with women’s liberation, you know that it has begun to change our lives.

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