How were women viewed by most of society in the 1950’s? how did this change in the 1960’s?

In the 1950s, women were expected to identify primarily as wives and mothers and be feminine. Those who were not married were depicted as disgusting and unattractive. A major event that first contributed to the change in women's roles in society was the creation of Enovid, the first birth control pill, in 1960. Women gained greater control over when and if they would have children, allowing many women to enter the workforce, a job that was formerly dominated by men, instead of spending their lives at home caring for children. In 1963, the President's Commission on the Status of Women issued a report called American Women, suggesting that women should be granted equality in employment, salary, and educational opportunities. Women's legal rights were further promoted by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned employment discrimination due to gender, race, color, religion, and national origin. Lastly, women also started to take on more political roles in an effort to influence political and social policy. Although society still had not fully embraced the idea of the "modern liberated woman," Americans became more open to a broader view of women's roles in society.