National Organization for Women

TASK FORCE ON LEGAL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS

(1967)

Goals:

*A campaign for women to assume equal rights and responsibilitiesas American citizens, including full participation in politicaldecision- making in the power structure of the political parties,in the selection of candidates and the formation of national policy,in the holding of public office, and in service to the nation,including military service and jury service.

*A campaign for the abolition of ladies’ auxiliaries and any otherseparate-but-not-equal organizations which segregate women, orother forms of “special” representation of women, outsidethe decision-making mainstream in the Republican, Democratic orany other political party.

*A campaign to get women to run for political office and to runfor membership in the regularly constituted party committees onall levels -local, state and national-and to seek assignmentson committees concerned with all aspects of government – space,finance, and urban affairs-refusing to be segregated as “Chairmanof Women’s Division,” or to be restricted to the kind ofhealth and welfare post considered traditionally more suitablefor women. On all other political issues, we may be quite dividedamong ourselves, nor will we campaign to elect any woman justbecause she is a woman-but we will campaign to support a woman,or man who actively fights for our basic interests, and to defeatany man or woman who betrays our interests, or gives mere lipservice.

*We will do our best to awaken in the largest possible numberof American voters an awareness of the basic interest of women’sunfinished equality, and a candidate’s record on it, as burningas we already know it to be in ourselves.

*Support federal civil rights legislation in 1967 which includesprovisions prohibiting any distinction based on sex in selectionof federal and state juries.

*Support and encourage women seeking to invoke their right toequal protection of the law under the United States Constitution,without discrimination based on sex, particularly in fields suchas public employment, public education, laws and official practiceswhich deny equal opportunity to women.

ACTION, FOLLOW THROUGH:

The continuing duty of the task force on legal and Political Rights

1. Review treatment of men and women in regard to their legaland political rights at the municipal, state and federal level.

2. Present the results of the review to the national executivecommittee of NOW for evaluation and plans for appropriate action.

Evidence of progress towards the stated goals of NOW should begiven equal attention and credit should be given to appropriateauthorities.

In 1963, it was noted in the Report of the Committee on Civiland Political Rights to the Presidents’ Commission on the Statusof Women that the bulk of the subject matter of this Task Forceis in the jurisdiction of the State Legislatures. Therefore, membersof the Task Force on the state level should accumulate and channelinformation from as many sources as are available to the nationalexecutive committee of NOW. That committee should plan appropriateaction which can be effected through mobilization of all the membersin the state in question.

The nature of the information to which the task force should addressitself should include state laws and city ordinances which treatwomen differently from men in a manner wholly untenable in thelight of present day multiple activities for which women are entirelyqualified.

It is strongly advised that a realistic attitude be adopted inthe matter of changing state and local laws to meet the goalsof NOW. Our laws are expressions of cultural patterns which areno longer acceptable to us. Changing them, however, may requirea great deal of time during which a process of education proceeds.This serves to change the pattern and, in turn, builds pressurethat finally achieves the goal.

Political Rights

Evidence indicates that a poor percentage of eligible women votersactually do vote. The task force should update the data on thissubject, (obligations and rights should balance). Further, theTask Force should investigate the status and treatment of womenwithin State Political Party organizations. State Party policyis usually reflected at the local level. Determine the degreeto which the political party utilizes women at the policy level.The pattern in both major parties has been male chairmen and femalevice-chairmen. This is a device which serves to structure thedivision and stereotype the activities of women within the partystructure. If possible it would be useful to determine the ratioof financial contributions of male and female who are active ina party organization on a percentage basis.

Greater participation within the party structure will producemore party activists, candidates for office and voters.

Submitted by: Mrs. Janey Hart, Chairman

NOW TASK FORCE ON EDUCATION

(Background Comments of the Substitute Temporary ConvenerHelenSchleman, May 1967)

I. Composition of Task Force – We are dealing in an area whereonly the word of well-known experts gets much attention. It istherefore recommended that every effort be made to recruit a fewwell recognized persons for this group whose recommendations willcarry weight. Suggestion: 1) Rosemary Park, who has spoken outfrankly about women’s lack of aspiration to achieve at top levels*,2) Mary Keyserling, whose agency is also on record as believingthat lack of aspiration is a critical factor in women’s achievement**,3) John Macy, who recognizes the importance of motivation andof changing fathers’ expectation for their daughters***, 4) AliceRossi, who is already active on another task force, but whosereputation for pinpointing needs for fundamental change is suchthat we need her support for any undertakings that focus on thiseffort, 5) Dr. Jean Paul Mather, Executive Vice President of UniversityCity Science Center at Philadelphia Pennsylvania who has appearedon various national programs, speaking of the necessity of usingwomanpower at top levels (e.g., Intercollegiate Associated WomenStudents, National Education Association), and 6) Eli Ginzberg,who is well known for his knowledge of womanpower and who is currentlydirecting a national-scale study being undertaken by a researchgroup of Columbia University. (The study, financed by a $235,000grant from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, is to evaluate counselingin areas of education and employment. It will undoubtedly includestudy of the influences which motivate young girls in junior highschool and high school, were aspirations for high achievementbegin to take form.)1

II. Focus of Immediate Attention: There are undoubtedly many reasonswhy women do not hold influential leadership positions, at highlevels of our national life, in proportion to their numbers inthe populations, or to their numbers in the labor force. Two far-reachingand all-pervading attitudinal factors, however, seem to be amongthe chief culprits; 1) Women’s own lack of aspirations to achievelevels commensurate with their intellectual ability and 2) thelimiting sex-oriented self-concept and “other-sex” conceptstaught to young children (and continuously expressed to them asexpectations), which result in traditional ways of thinking aboutwomen by men in decision-making positions (and even make it difficultfor many mature women to achieve a broad, inclusive self-concept)

Attitudes can be changed. It is suggested that the NOW Task Forceon Education focus it efforts 1) on raising the aspirations ofgirls and women at all stages of education and 2) on combatingthe limiting influence of traditional sex-oriented self-conceptsand expectations. This is no under-taking for amateurs. High aspirationmust be preceded by motivation. Motivation in common sense terms,is made up of all of the factors that cause a person to want (toaspire) to do a certain thing, to reach (aspire to) a certaingoal. These factors are legion.

III. Specific Action To Be Undertaken: (Note: It is recognizedthat there will be overlap with the work of other task forces.Obviously, there must be good communication to avoid duplicationof effort. For instance, the work of the Task Force on the MassMedia Image of Women ties in directly in the aspirations and motivationsof junior high school girls, high school girls, and women – notto say the image held by boys and men.) It is suggested that theNOW Education Task Force:

1. Make contact with Dr. Ginzberg regarding his current studyfor the following purposes: 1) to inform him of our interest andconcern in the study as it pertains to the aspirations and motivations,or lack thereof, of girls and women toward high goals of achievement,and 2) to seek his counsel regarding useful steps we as a taskforce might take to raise the aspirations of girls and combatthe traditional, limited self-concept so many of them hold.2.Make contact with junior high school and high school counselorsof both girls and boys to persuade them to try to inspire girlsto aspire to educate themselves to the limit of their intellectualcapacity and then to use their education fully.

2. We should place articles in their professional journals whichwill give specific information about scope of opportunities forboth girls and boys, will discuss the current life-patterns ofwomen and men that both boys and girls need to be familiar with,and will emphasize the importance to girls themselves, as wellas to our whole society and economy, of their aspiring to usetheir full intellectual talents in top-level spots. Counselorsneed very much to adopt a new outlook and set of expectationsfor girls if the girls themselves are to develop higher aspirationsand a new self-concept.3 This is a crucial change that must beemphasized in every way possible.

3. Make contact with school administrators and try to persuadethem of the importance of making successful-outside-the-home,loved and respected women models visible to boys and girls. Urgethem to use them in the school system as well as to bring themin from the outside community to demonstrate that women are expectedto participate at significant levels outside the home.

4. Make contact with parents, PTAs, any way possible to make knownwhat the current situation is and to urge higher expectationsfor their daughters equal to those they hold for their sons

5. Make contact with men’s service club. in a variety of ways- through their publications programs, etc., with particular emphasison the father’s role in rising the aspirations of his daughterby his own expectations of her.

The ways to effect change of the traditional self-concepts heldby many girls that limit their aspirations are as many and variedas imagination will produce. The same holds for changing the traditionalexpectations held by others for girls and women, We need a workingtask force to agree on limited objectives and specific approaches.

Summary of Proposed Action

It is suggested that NOW name at least 3 or 4 members of the TaskForce on Education at once to begin work in the areas indicated.

A. Specific objectives: 1) raise the aspirations of girls and womenat all stages of education and 2) combat the limiting influenceof traditional sex-oriented self-concepts and expectations

B. Some specific action programs:

1. Make contact with Dr. Ginzberg. . . .

2. Make contact with junior high school and high school counselors.. . .

3. Make contact with school administrators. . . .

4. Make contact with parents, PTAs. . . .

5. Make contact with men’s service club. . . .

* “On the subject of women’s education, Rosemary Park, inher final report as president of Barnard College, declared thatthe traditional lack of scope in women’s aspirations is the factormost responsible for their absence in posts of leadership.”(From Intercollegiate Press Bulletin; Vol. 31, #35, May 1, 1967.)

** “An important part of the answer to the disparity in women’seducational attainment and earnings lies in the goals and aspirationsof these women when they were girls.” (U.S. Department ofLabor, Women’s Bureau, April l, 1967, WB67-281)

*** “This educational fallout is due largely to lack of motivation,but a negative attitude on the part of parents toward collegefor their daughters is an influential factor. I think that fathersare especially responsible in this. Fathers, in particular, needto abandon the assumption that their daughters really cannot learnmath, or that it’s not quite feminine to major in physics or chemistry,or that the engineering degree is strictly a male degree.”(John W. Macy, Jr., “Unless We Begin Now,” Vital Speechesof the Day, p. 680, September 1, 1966. Paper delivered at Atlanta,Georgia, July 25, 1966.)

1 School and Society, Vol. 95, p. 286. Summer 1967. Columbia UniversityStudy.

2 “Women also encounter manipulative counseling. ‘A counselorwill tell a woman that it really doesn’t matter what she studiesin college because she will get married and won’t have to work.But studies show this is not true.'” Eli Ginzberg, “Study of Education and Job Counseling.” School and Society, Vol.95, p. 286. Summer, 1967. Columbia University study.)

First Memo to National Board Members

November 29, 1966

MEMO TO: NOW Board Members

FROM: Kathryn F. Clarenbach, Chairman of the Board

By now you have all received a first mailing of materials andknow that NOW is in business. The November 20th Board meetingin New York was well attended (18 members present) and we workedout temporary operating procedures to enable orderly functioninguntil the constitution is redrafted and approved. Minutes of thatmeeting as well as the October 29th and 30th meeting in Washingtonwill be distributed by mail prior to the next Board meeting.

Will each of you please send me a letter of acceptance of yourBoard position? In the informality of getting organized this stepwas by-passed.

In the same letter will you also specify preference of dates ofthe next Board meeting? We agreed in New York to convene nextin Chicago during the week of February 20, 1967. This will bea two-day meeting to consider constitution and task forces. Aswe want to accommodate schedules of the largest number of Boardmembers, will you please indicate at least whether mid-week orweek-end would be possible and which would be preferable. We willnotify you as soon as possible of precise dates and place in Chicago.

At least two weeks prior to the February Board meeting you willreceive a copy of the re-drafted constitution, and a short statementprepared by the temporary convener of each task force indicatingphilosophy, scope and possible implementation. We can all arriveat the meeting on somewhat the same wave length and make the bestuse of our time together.

Task force statements will be prepared by:

Education – Elizabeth Drews

Employment – Dorothy Haener

Legal and Political Rights – Jane Hart

Family Life (Social Innovation) – Sister Mary Joel Read

Poverty – Anna A. Hedgeman

Mass Media Image – Dean Lewis

NOW Membership – Gretchen Squires

Finances – to be assigned

A suggested outline for the brief presentation as been preparedby Sister Mary Joel Read and will go out tomorrow to each of theabove.

The press conference in New York on November 21st was remarkablywell-attended and handled. Muriel Fox and Betty Friedan gave anenormous amount of themselves in setting up the entire weekend.

On Tuesday, November 22nd, the three E.E.O.C. Commissioners receiveda NOW delegation for an hour and a half. Betty Friedan, Anna Hedgeman,Phineas Indritz, Marguerite Rawalt (our legal counsel) and I wereall present. Prior to that Betty Friedan, Jane Hart and I wereinterviewed on television in D.C., and Betty and I had an inspectiontour of our Washington headquarters – Courtesy Services. The HeadquartersCommittee is to be commended in its choice of this service andthe smooth procedure it has set up.

The executive Committee (Betty Friedan, Anna Hedgeman, RichardGraham, Caroline Davis and I) will function between Board meetingsAny steps beyond those which we five have been empowered to takewill be referred to the entire Board. I look forward to receiptof your response regarding Board position and February dates.

Thank you.