The Faith of Early Feminism in Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique

Mead Ali Muhammed Dahat Salih
Fardin Nabi Shukri

This research project examines the early feminist faith and its portrayal in Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique. The project aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the feminist movement, which emerged as a diverse social movement primarily in the United States, with the objective of securing equal rights and opportunities for women in various spheres of life, including economic, personal, and political domains. This movement is widely recognized as the second wave of the larger feminist movement. The first-wave feminism of the 19th and early 20th centuries concentrated on legal rights, particularly the right to vote, while the second-wave feminism of the women's movement in the 1960s and 70s explored all aspects of women's experience, such as family, sexuality, and work. Several women's groups in the United States, including the National Organization for Women, challenged discriminatory laws that limited women's opportunities in areas such as property and contract rights, employment, and pay. The movement also aimed to raise women's self-awareness and challenge traditional stereotypes of women as passive, dependent, or irrational. Although the Equal Rights Amendment failed to pass in the 1970s, its objectives had largely been achieved through other means by the end of the 20th century. This study delves into the early feminist faith and the historical context of the feminist movement, with a particular focus on Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique.