NOW (National Organization for Women)

NOW (National Organization for Women)
Name	National Organization for Women
Founded	1966
Founder	Betty Friedan
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.

NOW (National Organization for Women) is a United States-based civil rights organization founded in 1966 to advocate for feminist goals including equal rights, reproductive freedom, and an end to sex discrimination. Drawing on activities ranging from litigation support to grassroots lobbying, the organization has worked alongside labor unions, civil rights groups, and health advocates to influence policy and public opinion. NOW's public campaigns and litigation efforts intersect with notable figures, institutions, and events across American social movements and international women's rights efforts.

History

NOW emerged in 1966 amid the postwar social movements that included veterans of the Civil Rights Movement, advocates from the Women's Strike for Peace, and writers from The Feminine Mystique milieu. Founding leaders drew on networks tied to Betty Friedan, Pauli Murray, and activists associated with National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and American Civil Liberties Union litigation. Early campaigns targeted employment discrimination under statutes influenced by the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the draft of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, while coordinating actions with organizations such as the League of Women Voters, National Organization for Women (local chapters), and student groups mobilized during the Vietnam War era. Through the 1970s NOW allied with proponents of the proposed Equal Rights Amendment and participated in demonstrations linked to the Roe v. Wade framework and reproductive rights coalitions involving Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and legal advocates from American Bar Association committees. In later decades NOW engaged with international instruments such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and participated in conferences associated with the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

Structure and Leadership

NOW is organized with a national board, executive officers, task forces, and state and local chapters, reflecting organizational models used by groups like American Federation of Labor affiliates and Service Employees International Union locals. Its leadership history includes presidents who have engaged with figures from the U.S. Congress, the Supreme Court of the United States, and the White House across administrations from Lyndon B. Johnson to Joe Biden. Major staff and volunteer roles connect the organization to advocacy networks associated with Human Rights Campaign, Sierra Club, and legal partners at firms with histories in cases such as Griswold v. Connecticut and Brown v. Board of Education-era civil rights litigation. Governance practices mirror nonprofit standards promoted by the Internal Revenue Service and corporate models discussed in texts by John Rawls-era scholars and policy centers like the Brookings Institution.

Advocacy and Campaigns

NOW's campaigns have spanned workplace equality, reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, and anti-violence initiatives, positioning the group alongside AARP, American Association of University Women, and National Council of Jewish Women in coalitions. Notable campaigns targeted employers involved in disputes similar to high-profile cases at General Motors, Walmart, and Microsoft to challenge pay disparities and hiring practices, and coordinated demonstrations at sites echoing protests at Stonewall Inn and vigils reminiscent of responses to the Brisbane Women's Liberation Conference. Reproductive rights campaigns intersected with advocacy by Planned Parenthood Federation of America and legal strategies analogous to litigants in Doe v. Bolton and Webster v. Reproductive Health Services. NOW has also participated in public education efforts reflecting strategies used by ACLU and Southern Poverty Law Center in voter mobilization, civic engagement, and anti-discrimination training.

Legislation and Policy Impact

NOW has lobbied for enactment and enforcement of bills and amendments including the Equal Rights Amendment, measures enforcing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 sex-discrimination provisions, and statutory protections aligned with interpretations in cases like Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins. The organization has filed amicus briefs in litigation before the Supreme Court of the United States and supported legislative initiatives debated in sessions of the United States Congress, interacting with committees such as the House Committee on the Judiciary and the Senate Judiciary Committee. NOW's policy work has included advocacy on legislation addressing sexual harassment influenced by concepts popularized after the Anita Hill hearings, and federally funded programs comparable to grants overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health addressing women's health research.

Membership and Chapters

NOW maintains state and local chapters organized similarly to networks such as the League of Women Voters and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People branches, with collegiate chapters modeled on student groups affiliated with Students for a Democratic Society and campus activism linked to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Membership drives have paralleled campaigns by groups like MoveOn.org and Common Cause to register supporters and mobilize volunteers for canvassing and litigation fundraising. International collaborations have connected NOW chapters with counterparts in organizations such as Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and delegations attending meetings at the United Nations.

Criticism and Controversies

NOW has faced criticism from conservative organizations including Heritage Foundation and Family Research Council over positions on reproductive policy and family law, and internal disputes resembling factional debates seen in groups like Socialist Workers Party and splintering episodes in the National Organization for Women (historical)-era. Controversies have also involved debates over intersectionality and representation raised by activists connected to Black Lives Matter, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, and advocates from Sistersong. Legal challenges and public disputes echoed controversies in cases involving public figures such as William F. Buckley Jr. and media outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post that covered organizational actions and leadership decisions.

Legacy and Influence on Feminism

NOW's influence on American feminism is comparable to institutions such as Suffrage movement organizations, and its campaigns have shaped discourse alongside landmark moments like Seneca Falls Convention anniversaries, legal milestones such as Roe v. Wade, and policy shifts during administrations from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama. The organization's efforts influenced scholarship at universities like Harvard University, Columbia University, and University of California, Berkeley that produced notable feminist theorists and historians documenting movements related to Second-wave feminism and subsequent waves of activism. NOW's legacy persists through alliances with contemporary movements including Me Too movement, labor coalitions with AFL–CIO, and international networks working on standards set by CEDAW and conferences hosted by the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

Category:Feminist organizations in the United States