Question

"Our Bodies Ourselves," learned about the ERA, and abortion rights, how do you think women's
lives transformed in the late 1960s and early 1970s in terms of reproduction,
motherhood, and their bodies? What were their goals? What was the debate over the ERA?

Answer 1

ERA or Equal Rights Amendment is a legislation proposing amendment to American constitution. This amendment seeks to end the legal discrimination of women against men and give them equal legal rights. The amendment was proposed in 1923 but has not been ratified since then.

Our Bodies Ourselves is a women centric movement started in 1960's which took a formal shape in 1969 in form of a Women Liberation Conference in Boston. They formed an assoviation and published a book with the same title. The aim was to spread information among women regarding women issues particularly sexuality and abortion , which was not a much discussed topic then.

How they transformed women life

Both ERA and Our Bodies Ourselves played tremendous role transforming the satus of women in society and their own life.  

• They brought women back into centre satge of political and social discussion.
• This spread awareness regarding condition of women and the issues they have to face.
• OBOS movement enlightened womeen about the less discussed issues such as sex ,abortion,menstruation and women diseases.
• It formalized the women right movement in term of proper organisations, magazines and books published for the purpose of women emanicipation.
• Medical condition of women improved due to increased awareness and accessibility to medical facilities..
• It gave a new life to feminist movement throughout the world ​​​​​​

The goals were -

• Inspiring and empowering women to get engaged politically
• Identifying and collaborate with individuals and organisations that work for women and their issues.
• Producing books and journals to improve health awareness
• Getting equality with men in all political,social and economic aspects
• By making informed women, turning them into catalyst of social change.

  The debate regarding ERA -

​​​​​The debate is about whether men and women should have equal rights or not.The proponents of the act forward the idea that they ddemand equal rights because they are not being provided oppertunities just because of being a women. All tthey want is a chance to be equal if they want and if they deserve and if they wish. They seek to end all distinctions between men and women in term of divorce,property, employment , health and other matters.

The other side of the debate speaking on behalf of working women oppose the move by saying that women needed special protection in term of working condition and employment. Giving them equality will deprive them of many benefits which they are enjoying right now. The other group which are misogynistic rejects the equality principle itself. The say men andwomen are fundamentally differnt.