Women's Liberation Movement

Inspired by the success of the civil rights movement, the women's liberation movement developed and pushed for greater socioeconomic equality for women. It challenged the representation of women in the media, violence against women, and societal values that limited women. During the movement, many women saw a connection between circumstances in their personal life and in the larger world, which lead to the spread of "the personal is political". Betty Friedan's 1963 book, the Feminine Mystique also inspired many women to challenge traditional expectations of middle class women. Friedan, notably, was also one of the many women who founded the National Organization for Women in 1966. It was the leading liberal organization supporting women's rights. Another important development was the national magazine Ms., founded by Gloria Steinem, Letty Cottin Pogrebin and many others. Many women's rights groups also developed out of New Left activist groups, however even within these groups, women were frustrated by their second- class treatment.

An important event during the women's rights movement was the 1968 protest at the Miss America Pageant. This was the first time that many Americans heard about the women's liberation in the media. The pageant in American culture revealed much about society's attitudes and expectations for women. The women's rights movement protested the standards of beauty and validation by men that were perpetuated by the Miss America Pageant. 

Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 was another important success of the movement. Title IX banned sex discrimination in all aspects of education-- in faculty hiring, admissions, and even in student bodies. This also had a major impact on funding for female sports teams at college and high school levels.

Sources:

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/brief-history-womens-rights-movements