The Women's Rights Movement--Parts 1 & 2

Targeted at middle and high school age viewers, this entry in the ABC News Classroom Edition series--which provides concise, instructive outlines of historical topics--looks at the Women's Rights Movement. Part 1: The United States examines the shift in focus during the 19th century from abolition to women's freedoms, pushing for equal rights and suffrage through demonstrations and rallies. Briefly profiling leaders from Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony to Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem, the program traces the struggle for equality through the 19th and 20th centuries--including the rise of WWII icons such as Rosie the Riveter and the lesser-known WASPs (Women Air Force Service Pilots) and the campaigns for various pieces of legislation (ERA, Title IX). Part 2: The World explores women's rights around the globe, focusing on countries such as Afghanistan, South Africa, and Japan. Featuring footage from UN worldwide women's conferences, the program also includes examples of second-class female citizenry, ranging from restrictive dress codes to persistent homemaker stereotypes, noting that many of these cultural phenomena are widely accepted traditions. Combining archival documentary excerpts from (who else?) ABC News, articulate narrators, onscreen text “Fact File” segments (including vocabulary and further exploration), and effective graphics, The Women's Rights Movement presents a fine overview that may spur viewers to a deeper examination of a noteworthy theme. Recommended. [Note: also newly available in the series are The Civil Rights Movement (5 tapes), Global Human Rights (3 tapes), The Cold War (5 tapes), Ancient and Modern Cultures (3 tapes), and Fundamentalism and Terrorism (8 tapes), among others.] Aud: J, H, P. (J. Williams)