The Lessons of Women's Equality Day Exactly one year prior,
Abzug had spoken at the "Women Strike for Equality" march, a
gathering of 10,000 women in New York organized by Betty Friedan
and a coalition of feminist activists, including the National
Organization for Women (NOW), the YWCA, the National Coalition
of American Nuns, Feminists in the Arts, and Women Strike for
Peace. Protesters took to the streets of Manhattan to both
celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and demand
further rights for women. The diversity and size of the
gathering guaranteed an extensive and varied list of demands,
but three major issues were on everyone's mind: legal and safe
abortion, access to free childcare centers in every community,
and equal opportunities for women in jobs and education. In
addition to the protest in New York, gatherings took place
around the country (in fact, FMF President Ellie Smeal became
active in NOW that day as an attendee of a day-long conference
in Pittsburgh). So when Bella Abzug intr