Gender Equality: NOW's founders believed that women should have the same rights, privileges, and opportunities as men in every aspect of society. They fought for legal equality, equal pay, and the elimination of sex-based discrimination in employment, education, housing, and other areas.
Reproductive Rights: Many NOW founders emphasized the importance of women's right to control their own bodies, including the right to access contraception and safe and legal abortion. They advocated for reproductive freedom as essential to women's self-determination and bodily autonomy.
Educational and Professional Opportunities: NOW aimed to expand women's access to higher education and professional opportunities, challenging gender stereotypes that restricted women's roles to home and family. They worked to break down barriers that prevented women from pursuing careers and achieving leadership positions.
Legal Reforms: NOW actively campaigned for legal reforms to address sex discrimination and advance women's rights. They focused on issues such as pay equity, equal employment opportunities, access to credit, and the reform of family law to ensure women's equal partnership and rights within the family.
Social Change and Consciousness-Raising: NOW recognized that achieving gender equality required a transformation in societal attitudes and norms. They organized consciousness-raising groups where women could share their experiences, confront stereotypes, and empower one another. NOW also engaged in public demonstrations, protests, and media campaigns to raise awareness of women's issues and challenge prevailing social structures.
Intersectionality: While many NOW founders shared a commitment to women's rights, there were also differences in perspectives and priorities. Over time, NOW embraced a more intersectional approach that recognized the interconnectedness of gender with other forms of oppression, such as race, class, and sexuality. This allowed NOW to address the concerns and experiences of women from diverse backgrounds and advocate for inclusive feminism.
Overall, the perspectives of NOW's founders were rooted in a deep commitment to gender equality, social justice, and women's empowerment, paving the way for the organization's ongoing activism and influence in shaping women's rights and gender policies in the United States.