National Organization for Women

National Organization for Women
Name	National Organization for Women
Formation	1966
Founder	Betty Friedan, Pauli Murray (honorary), others
Type	Nonprofit advocacy organization
Headquarters	Washington, D.C., United States
Region served	United States
Focus	Women's rights, gender equality, civil rights advocacy
Leader title	President

National Organization for Women

The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist advocacy group founded in 1966 to promote equal rights for women in education, employment, and public life. Emerging in the wake of the Civil Rights Movement and the expansion of federal civil rights law, NOW became a leading institutional voice within the broader struggle for civil and social equality in the United States. Its work matters for understanding how post‑1960s movements sought statutory change, cultural influence, and organizational stability.

Origins and Founding within the Civil Rights Era

NOW was established at a moment when legal victories for African Americans under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) drew attention to persistent sex discrimination. Founders including Betty Friedan and activists from organizations such as the National Council of Negro Women and civil liberties groups argued that enforcement of sex equality required a dedicated advocacy organization. The founders framed NOW as complementary to efforts by NAACP and Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), drawing on tactics refined during the civil rights campaigns—litigation, lobbying, and public demonstration—but focused on Title VII and later on Title IX of the Education Amendments. NOW's early formation reflected the postwar expansion of American civic institutions and an emphasis on working within constitutional and legislative frameworks to secure reforms.

Mission, Goals, and Organizational Structure

NOW's stated mission is to secure equal rights for women through lobbying, litigation support, public education, and grassroots mobilization. It prioritized legal equality, reproductive choice, and workplace fairness while stressing social cohesion and the rule of law as means to progress. Structurally, NOW developed a national board and local chapters modeled after civic associations, with committees focused on legislation, legal strategy, and political action. It engaged with federal agencies like the Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and sought to influence Congress, state legislatures, and the Supreme Court of the United States through amicus briefs and coalition work.

Major Campaigns and Legislative Advocacy

Key campaigns included advocacy for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), enforcement of Title IX, protection of reproductive rights after Roe v. Wade (1973), and campaigns against employment discrimination. NOW supported litigation by plaintiffs in cases involving workplace harassment and pay equity and organized national lobbying drives in support of the ERA and federal anti‑discrimination statutes. The organization used coordinated chapter activities, voter education drives, and high‑profile demonstrations to press lawmakers in Congress and statehouses. It also worked with labor unions such as the AFL–CIO on pay equity and with legal organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on constitutional challenges.

Relationship with Other Civil Rights and Conservative Institutions

NOW maintained complex relationships across the political spectrum. It partnered with civil rights organizations like the NAACP and the National Urban League on issues of shared concern, while sometimes clashing over priorities and tactics. Conservative institutions—think tanks such as the Heritage Foundation and advocacy groups opposed to ERA—served as organized counterweights, framing debates around traditional family roles and federalism. NOW positioned itself as a mainstream reformist body seeking incremental legal integration rather than radical social upheaval, often engaging with legislators from both major parties, state bar associations, and faith communities to build broad coalitions for durable policy outcomes.

Leadership, Membership, and National Influence

Leadership at NOW included prominent public figures whose profiles linked feminist causes to national discourse, notably Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem (supporter and ally), and other national presidents who emphasized organizational professionalism. Membership peaked during ERA campaigns, drawing professionals, students, and community activists into a nationwide network of chapters that engaged in voter registration and civic education. NOW's influence extended into nominations and hearings in Congress, state policy debates, and the legal culture around employment law, contributing to the normalization of gender equality claims within administrative practice and jurisprudence.

Controversies, Internal Debates, and Shifts in Strategy

NOW experienced internal debates over ideology, tactics, and priorities: the balance between legalist strategies and direct action, the relationship between class and gender concerns, and responses to intersecting race issues highlighted by Black feminists such as Pauli Murray and organizations like the Combahee River Collective. Critics accused NOW of focusing on the concerns of middle‑class white women early on; the organization responded by expanding outreach to women of color, LGBTQ activists, and working‑class constituencies. Strategic shifts included greater emphasis on electoral politics, coalition building with labor and civil rights groups, and legal advocacy through partnerships with law firms and public interest law centers.

Legacy and Influence on American Social and Political Stability

NOW's legacy is visible in expanded statutory protections, greater public acceptance of women's workplace and educational rights, and institutional mechanisms for addressing discrimination. By pressing for reform through legal channels and civic engagement, NOW contributed to a more orderly integration of equality claims into American public policy and institutions, reinforcing the norms of constitutional process and political compromise. Its campaigns shaped debates over the welfare of families, the role of women in civic life, and the balance between federal authority and state discretion, leaving a lasting imprint on the governance of equality in the United States.

Category:Feminist organizations in the United States Category:History of civil rights in the United States