In this photograph taken in New York City on August 27th, 1970 by Eugene Gordon, one can see a protest similar to one we would see today. On this day, 50,000 women marched down Fifth Avenue in support of the National Organization for Women (NOW) to show the power of feminism and to represent the action they wanted. This march was organized by Betty Friedan and was meant to gain media attention throughout America. The main idea behind the march was to cause a national work stoppage where women would stop cooking in cleaning in an attempt to draw attention to the unequal distribution of labor in the workforce. The three main goals that stemmed from this were free abortion on demand, equal opportunity in employment and education and the establishment of 24/7 childcare. This march was extremely successful in its attempt to draw attention to the cause and set a precedent for marches to come in future years.
The main banner featured in this photograph reads “women strike for peace – and equality”, a simple phrase with a strong and impactful meaning. Some of the other posters bring forward the issues of the Vietnam War. From the looks on the women’s faces and their body posture, the viewer can feel the tenacious and determined spirit of these women. They marched for their rights and hoped to bring forward a wave of change for the future. Although this was not the first march of its time, it serves a symbol and predecessor for the marches we see today.
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