The League of Women Voters was founded in 1920 as an offshoot of the women's rights movement. The League was designed to help women carry out their new responsibilities as voters, and it also encouraged them to use their new civic powers to help shape public policy. From the beginning, the League of Women Voters has been an activist, grassroots organization whose leaders believed that citizens should play a critical role in government. It was then, and is now, a nonpartisan organization. However, League members were encouraged to be political themselves by educating citizens about, and lobbying for, government and social reform legislation.
The women's rights movement continued to expand for a number of years after 1920. Women helped to keep America running during World War II, and there was little time for activism with everyone's energy focused on the war effort. However, that all changed during the 1960s. The civil rights movement inspired a second round of activism, leading women to address inequalities they faced in all areas of life. Women all across America worked on grassroots projects, such as establishing and supporting battered women's shelters, rape crisis hotlines, and health clinics. In addition, women persuaded state and federal governments to pass laws banning employment and education discrimination. Besides working for their own causes, women in the '60s also worked tirelessly in support of the civil rights movement.
![By Pax Ahimsa Gethen (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://s3.amazonaws.com/cms.accelerate-ed.com/image/a84a5aaa-b0ce-4fc6-9da2-0aedb6f2989d.jpg "Womans March 2017")
The women's movement is still alive and well today, fighting some of the same battles they have been fighting for years: They advocate for equal pay, an end to discrimination, and better health care for women. The women's rights movement is the most successful and enduring grassroots organization in America. It has lasted for well over 170 years and has had countless victories.
Use these flash cards to review what you know about the women's rights movement. Think about the answer to each question before you review the answer.
What was the original goal of the women's movement?
to change their status as second-class citizens
What was the primary goal of the early women's movement?
to gain the right to vote
What sorts of grassroots tactics has the women's movement used?
every tactic imaginable: leaflets, speeches, marches, parades, and protests
What political changes has the women's movement made or affected?
women's right to vote, their access to a college education, civil rights protections, and anti-discrimination laws
Has the broader goal of the women's movement been fulfilled?
Although the movement has made tremendous strides in the last 170 years, many women activists still feel that they have work to do--such as closing the wage gap between men and women.
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