On August 26th, 1970, approximately 50,000 women walked out of their homes at 5 p.m. and into the streets of New York City. The time was chosen to allow working women to participate and for the loss of domestic labor to be felt at home. Across the country, individuals and groups gathered for similar acts of revolt.
The Women’s Strike celebrated the 50th anniversary of women’s federal voting rights and demonstrated the work needed to create true gender equality in the United States. For example, in 1963 Congress passed the Equal Pay Act that prohibited pay discrimination. But in 1970, women still earned only 59 cents for every dollar a man earned for similar work. They also continued to face limited access to higher education and career choices, and 43 states limited their work hours. Additionally, women still could not purchase a home, open a bank account, take out a loan, apply for a credit card, or make a will without a husband, and were frequently excused from juries because of duties related to the home and motherhood.
Responses to the Women’s Strike were mixed. Many women watched the television coverage uncertain of how to react. News anchors likened the women’s movement to an infectious disease. However, Time magazine published articles discussing reasons behind the strike. President Richard Nixon even declared August 26th Women’s Equality Day. But at the end of the day, the strike organizers excluded Black, Chicana, Indigenous, Queer, and working-class women from the agenda, igniting future questions concerning what constitutes equality.
