Betty Friedan

The roots of the modern feminist movement can be traced directly back to a single book published nearly 60 years ago. It was called The Feminine Mystique. Its author was a young would-be journalist named Betty Friedan.  It is widely regarded as the spark that lit the fire of the feminist movement. But that was only the beginning for Betty Friedan. Three years later, she co-founded the National Organization for Women, and was its first president. She also helped establish the National Womens Political Caucus. And she founded what was then known as the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws, known today simply as NARAL. In 2000, Friedan wrote a memoir called Life So Far.