Betty Friedan

American feminist, writer, and activist (1921–2006)

3 quotes in the MindQuotes library.

About

Betty Friedan, born Bettye Naomi Goldstein in Peoria, Illinois, is a major figure in American feminism. A graduate of Smith College in 1942, she published *The Feminine Mystique* in 1963, a bestseller that exposed the malaise of housewives and launched second-wave feminism. Co-founder and first president of the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1966, she organized the Women's Strike for Equality in 1970. She helped create the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws (NARAL) and the National Women's Political Caucus. Her work and activism profoundly influenced women's rights in the United States.

* 1921-02-04 — † 2006-02-04

Major works

The Feminine Mystique (1963)nonfiction
It Changed My Life (1976)nonfiction
The Second Stage (1981)nonfiction
The Fountain of Age (1993)nonfiction
Life So Far: A Memoir (2000)memoir

Key milestones

1966Co-founded the National Organization for Women (NOW) and became its first president.
1970Organized the Women's Strike for Equality in New York City.
1971Co-founded the National Women's Political Caucus with Bella Abzug and Gloria Steinem.

Themes

FeminismGender equalityWomen's role in societyAgingFemale identity

Sources: govinfo.gov · britannica.com · oxfordreference.com

“The problem that has no name — which is simply the fact that American women are kept from growing to their full human capacities — is taking a far greater toll on the physical and mental health of our country than any known disease.”

— Betty FriedanTheme · Society

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“A woman is handicapped by her sex, and handicaps society, either by slavishly copying the pattern of man's advance in the professions, or by refusing to compete with man at all.”

— Betty FriedanTheme · Society

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“It is easier to live through someone else than to complete yourself. The freedom to lead and plan your own life is frightening if you have never faced it before.”

— Betty FriedanTheme · Personal Development

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