WHEN IS FEMINISM N T FEMINISM ?
Women and Politics in the US Under the New Deal
Library of Congress
By Frances Hawkins , Grade 12 student
This paper provides a condensed summary of the research conducted by Grade 12 student Frances Hawkins for her Extended Essay . The Extended Essay is one of the key components of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme . Frances will be attending the University of Oxford this fall to pursue a degree in anthropology .
The idea of feminism has been controversial since the term itself was first used in the late 19th century . Competing factions of feminists exist : some believe in equal rights and equal opportunity for all ; others that , since men and women are inherently different , “ equal but different ” rights and opportunities are appropriate .
Feminist activism has long been disturbing to many . During the height of the Great Depression , groups of hostile housewives staged a stream of protests across the country . These protests could become militant and often involved cases of vandalism . The radical behaviour of suffragettes in Britain in the 1920 ’ s was still fresh in the minds of many . Thus , many women who might have otherwise identified as feminist avoided the label and connection with the movement . Women in the political realm especially avoided this label , as even a weak link to the image of belligerent housewives or radical suffragettes could have had a damaging effect on their public perception .
The New Deal After his election in 1933 , President Franklin D Roosevelt introduced the New Deal , a slate of laws , presidential executive orders , and public works programmes meant to ameliorate the effects of the Great Depression . It was in this new atmosphere of change that women were able to move to the fore in politics to address their “ feminist aspirations ” and to work as important members of the New Deal . By Emily Newell Blair ’ s definition , a feminist is a woman who “ whether she calls herself a feminist or not , wants to make it easier for women to contend with men in politics .”
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