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General Education Essay:

“All Our Problems Stem from the Same Sex Based Myths”: Gloria Steinem Delineates

American Gender Myths during ERA Hearings

Olga Vega
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Challenging Gender Discrimination

During the Congressional hearing on the Equal Rights Act (ERA) of 1923, there was

opposition to the women's suffrage movement and a deeper divide among the women who

opposed it since they would have some privileges associated with aid for female workers and

those from poor backgrounds. In her speech against the opposition to ERA, Gloria Steinem

looked beyond the need to offer women handouts and opted to champion equal opportunity

for all and an end to gender discrimination. The thesis of Steinem’s submission is that societal

myths and deep-rooted gender inequalities lack factual evidence since they ensure the

oppression of women by purporting men are superior to women. In support of this, Steinem

states that, "The truth is that all our problems stem from the same sex-based myths.” Steinem

continues to criticize the fact that women are deemed inferior to men, yet women live longer

than men, which questions the foundation of the gender argument. Her disapproval of the

alienation of women and the propagation of outdated myths is evident in her narration.

Steinem mentions how she was excluded from professional groups under the pretense that the

topics were deemed “unfeminine.” Steinem further states how she has faced both legal and

social discrimination. Steinman hammers the nail on the head when she states that, unlike

blacks and minorities, she lacks any legal platform to see justice for discrimination based on

gender.

Steinem's speech occurred during the second wave of the women's movement or the

feminism movement of the 1960s and 1970s. The women's suffrage of the 1920s led to the

Constitutional Amendment to allow women to vote (Doherty, 2020). In the second wave, 50

years later, women were championing equal opportunity for all. The second wave of the

feminist movement called for abortion rights, free childcare, and equal opportunity. In the

1970s, the economic downtime pushed women into formal employment. In that period, over

half of the women in the American population were employed. However, they were paid 60%
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less than men in same occupation and job group (Snipp & Cheung, 2016). Despite the

passage of the Equal Pay Act (1963), there was a significant wage gap based on gender, and

women lacked access to most of the rights promised in the amendments. Historical data

shows that women earned 59 cents for every dollar earned by a man in the same position

(Snipp & Cheung, 2016). Another persistent issue during the 1970s was the denial of

enrolment of women in higher education, with institutions such as Harvard admitting the first

woman in 1977. Steinem’s narration supports the presence of gender inequalities during the

1970s when she mentions that “I have experienced much of the legal and social

discrimination reserved for women” (Steinem, 1970). In some states, there was a limitation

on the working hours of women and access to financial services such as having credit cards

or owning property. Women's movement was rife during the period as they advocated for

equal rights.

Steinem's call for action in defense of the ERA is commendable and a much-needed

push to advocate for the protection of women's rights and equal opportunity in society.

However, Gloria Steinem may have a bias as a white middle-class woman. Steinem states

that “white radicals or the middle-aged middle class or black soul sisters” as she pushes for

the eradication of old gender-based myths (Steinem, 1970). She goes further and states that

while she may have experienced social and legal discrimination, she lacks a legal avenue for

redress for her suffering compared to blacks and other minorities. Here, Steinem appears to

acknowledge the point of convergence between oppression and gender violence. Still, her

experiences as a white woman and expectations of privilege prevent her from conceptualizing

the struggles and challenges faced by women of color and those from disadvantaged

socioeconomic backgrounds. Steinem appears to compare her oppression to the

discrimination of blacks and minorities, which lacks merit and speaks to her bias. As a white

middle-class woman, she expected certain services in restaurants and apartments. However,
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blacks were not allowed access to similar restaurants or accommodations in specific

locations.

One of the aspects we have been studying is the impact of individuals, artists, music,

and other elements in the social movements of the 20th century. In this case, we are focusing

on the role of Gloria Steinem in advocating for the full implementation of the ERA and

demystifying gender roles by advocating for equal rights and opportunities for all genders.

Her speech as a primary source speaks to the strength of the second wave of the women's

rights movement that began with the women's suffrage of the 1920s, which led to the creation

of the ERA and amendments to grant women voting rights. Also, the primary source by

Gloria Steinem focuses on themes of advocacy and social movements that impacted society.

Steinem's champion for women's rights and equal opportunity gave power to many middle-

class women to join the fight for freedom.

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References

Doherty, M. (2020, August 26). Feminist Factions United and Filled the Streets for This

Historic March. The New York Times.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/26/us/womens-strike-for-equality.html

Snipp, C. M., & Cheung, S. Y. (2016). Changes in Racial and Gender Inequality since 1970.

The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 663(1), 80–

98. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716215596959

Steinem, G. (1970). All Our Problems Stem from the Same Sex-Based Myths. Congress.

https://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/7025%E2%80%AF