During the time Mary Oliver was writing a majority of her poetry, specifically between the years of 1960-1980, and even into present times, the Feminist movement was sweeping the nation. Feminism has been around much longer than 1960, however this is when the movement really began to spread like wildfire. Femisim is defined as the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism is not simply just a "female empowerment" club, it is a movement that simply wants women AND men to be seen on equal terms in all aspects of life.
The 1960’s was an important time period for feminism. When the Food and Drug Administration approved the first oral contraceptive for women. in 1960, and were made available in 1961, women took a stand on their reproductive rights. For the first time, courts needed to deal with the legal reproductive rights of all women, something that the men who ran the courts had never thought of until now. In 1961, President Kennedy established the Commission on the Status of Women to examine issues related to women and to make proposals on such topics as employment, Social Security, education and tax laws. In 1963, the Federal Government amended the Equal Rights Act. Then, President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In June 1966, the National Organization for Women (NOW) was founded. The purpose of the organization was “to take action to bring women into full participation in the mainstream of American society now, exercising all privileges and responsibilities thereof in true equal partnership with men”. In 1973, Judge Harry A. Blackmun legalized abortion in the first trimester, also known as Roe v. Wade, which still causes controversy today-even between members of the feminist movement. The following year, the first "March for Life" in Washington D.C. was organized. By 1979, the NOW had 100,000 members and as of 2008, NOW has 500,000 members and 550 chapters.
Many feminists did not care for Mary Oliver's works. They constantly reprimanded her for not writing about her life as a lesbian in her poetry or writing about social, economic, and political issues that were striking the women of the day and age, specifically lesbians. Though Mary was not strongly involved in the feminist movement, she still believed all people should be seen as equal, but through the connection between all humans and nature.
The 1960’s was an important time period for feminism. When the Food and Drug Administration approved the first oral contraceptive for women. in 1960, and were made available in 1961, women took a stand on their reproductive rights. For the first time, courts needed to deal with the legal reproductive rights of all women, something that the men who ran the courts had never thought of until now. In 1961, President Kennedy established the Commission on the Status of Women to examine issues related to women and to make proposals on such topics as employment, Social Security, education and tax laws. In 1963, the Federal Government amended the Equal Rights Act. Then, President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In June 1966, the National Organization for Women (NOW) was founded. The purpose of the organization was “to take action to bring women into full participation in the mainstream of American society now, exercising all privileges and responsibilities thereof in true equal partnership with men”. In 1973, Judge Harry A. Blackmun legalized abortion in the first trimester, also known as Roe v. Wade, which still causes controversy today-even between members of the feminist movement. The following year, the first "March for Life" in Washington D.C. was organized. By 1979, the NOW had 100,000 members and as of 2008, NOW has 500,000 members and 550 chapters.
Many feminists did not care for Mary Oliver's works. They constantly reprimanded her for not writing about her life as a lesbian in her poetry or writing about social, economic, and political issues that were striking the women of the day and age, specifically lesbians. Though Mary was not strongly involved in the feminist movement, she still believed all people should be seen as equal, but through the connection between all humans and nature.