Betty Friedan 1921-2006: Women's Rights Pioneer Helped Launch Modern-Day Feminist Movement

We look at the life and legacy of feminist pioneer Betty Friedan. She died Saturday, on her 85th birthday. Friedan was a founding member of the National Organization for Women - NOW - which today has grown into the largest women's rights group in the U.S. In 1966, she was NOW's first president, a post she held for four years. She was also author of the groundbreaking book "The Feminine Mystique." The book is widely credited for helping to launch the feminist movement and is viewed as one of the most important books of the 20th century. Kim Gandy, NOW's current President, said: "The Feminine Mystique... opened women's eyes. Betty recognized a longing in the women of her generation, a longing for something more - opportunity, recognition, fulfillment, success, a chance to live their own dreams beyond the narrow definition of "womanhood" that had limited their lives."

In 1971, Friedan co-founded the National Women's Political Caucus. This is an excerpt from her speech at the group's founding meeting.

* Betty Friedan, speaking in 1971, excerpt from the 1971 television documentary, "The Hand That Rocks The Ballot Box."

For more on Betty Friedan's life and legacy, we are joined by three guests:

* Marlene Sanders, she has over thirty years of experience as a correspondent, writer, and executive with ABC and CBS News. In 1964, she became the first woman to anchor the evening news, and 12 years later the first to become a network news executive. She is currently an adjunct professor at New York University's Department of Journalism where she teaches television reporting. She is co-author of the book "Waiting for Prime Time: The Women of Television News."
* Barbara Seaman, longtime women's health activist. She is the author of many books, including "The Doctor's Case Against the Pill" -- one of the first indictments of the birth control pill, published in 1969. Her latest book is "The Greatest Experiment Ever Performed on Women: Exploding the Estrogen Myth." She is also the co-founder of the National Women's Health Network.
* Judith Hennessee, She is the author of the definitive biography, "Betty Friedan: Her Life."

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