This Week in Women's Rights - 'A Bunny's Tale'

This Week's Historical Theme: Women's Rights

 

1 May 1963

A significant event throughout the history of women's rights that occurred in May was Gloria Steinem's publication of "A Bunny's Tale". After her brief but shocking time undercover as a Bunny in Manhattan's Playboy Club, feminist writer, Gloria Steinem published the first half of her landmark account, "A Bunny's Tale", in SHOW magazine on 1 May 1963. Steinem was commissioned by SHOW to apply for a job at the Playboy Club under a fake name and document her experience. The servers at the clubs were known as "Bunnies" and were made to wear a highly sexualised bunny uniform trademark of the Playboy brand. Her brilliant exposé stripped back the glamorous facade of Hugh Hefner's Playboy empire at the height of its influence, revealing the strife misogyny and exploitation of young women.

Steinem quickly learned the truth was far removed from the glamorous way in which it was depicted. Bunnies were paid far less than the advertised $200-$300 per week, the club took 50% of the first $30 they made in tips, and they had to comply to a harsh system of demerits which amounted to salary reduction. These demerits could be given for offenses such as refusing to go out with a customer in a rude way, or allowing the cotton tail on the back of their uniforms to get dirty. The Bunnies were also subject to constant harassment by the clientele and in some accounts, were pressured into going out with "Number One keyholders" who were exclusive members of the club. Though Hefner tried to take the exposé in his stride, claiming applications to work the Playboy Club had increased after its publication, it was merely the first of many feminist attacks on the male-centric Playboy lifestyle that exploited and objectified women.

Want to find out more about Gloria Steinem's exposé? Click here for more information, or here for more about feminism in the 60s and 70s.

This Week in Women's Rights - The Equal Rights Amendment

This Week's Historical Theme: Women's Rights

22 March 1972

A significant event throughout the history of women's rights that occurred in March was the passing of the Equality Rights Amendment by the U.S Senate. First proposed by the National Women's political party, it was introduced to Congress in 1923 shortly after women in the United States were granted the right to vote. The ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) was to provide for the legal equality of the sexes and prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex. The revival of feminism in the 1960s led to its approval by the U.S Senate on 22 March 1972 and it was then sent to the states for ratification.

Hawaii was the first state to ratify the ERA followed by 30 other states within a year. However, during the mid 1970s there was a conservative backlash against feminism and thus growing opposition to the ERA led by Phyllis Schlafly. Despite a deadline extension to June 1982, it was not ratified by the requisite majority of 38 states. What would have been the 27th Amendment to the Constitution was therefore rejected. Regardless of the considerable legislation since passed to protect the legal rights of women, due to the rejection of the ERA women still do not legally have equal rights under the U.S Constitution.

Want to find out more about why the Equal Rights Amendment is still yet to be ratified? Click here for more information, or here for more about Phyllis Schlafly's campaign against it.

September 19 - New Zealand Grant Women the Vote

This Day in History: 19 September 2020

 

19 September 1893

 

127 years ago, today, New Zealand became the first country in the world to allow the national voting rights of women. The fight in New Zealand was won through a combination of persistence, the temperance movement and a degree of luck. The movement had come to prominence in the 1880s, and blamed alcohol for many of society's problems with women and children receiving the main responsibility. Kate Sheppard became New Zealand's leading suffragette, as she organised many petitions demanding women the vote and spoke around the country. The English philosopher John Stuart Mill was another major influence, as he advocated for rights for women.

An earlier bill to parliament had failed in the upper house but was passed despite Prime Minister Richard Seddon's attempts to stop it. His interreference bothered two members of parliament so much that they changed their vote and the bill was passed. 84% of women registered for the next general election occurring over two months later. Today, Kate Sheppard's portrait is on the New Zealand ten-dollar bill, and the centenary of her efforts was widely celebrated in 1993. In 1917, Canada followed in granting women the vote, before the United Kingdom in 1918 and the United States in 1920.

Want to find out more about the women's vote in New Zealand? Click here for more information, or here for more about Kate Sheppard.

Is feminism still needed?

Janice Turner argues here in the Times today that it most certainly is and uses what she describes as the 'pornification' of society to prove her point. It has provoked a heated debate on the issue and of course comes at the same time as Lubna Hussein is fighting for her rights to wear trousers in Sudan at risk of being whipped.