4. The Second Stage

The first stage of the women's movement, says Friedan, was fought against the “old structure of the unequal polarized male and female sex roles.” In their struggle for equality, however, some militant feminists went too far and also rejected the family itself. In the second stage, Friedan believes that women should fight for a restructuring of our institutions so those women can be truly free to choose their roles – including the important choice of having children.

The women's movement is being blamed, above all, for the destruction of the family. Churchmen and sociologists proclaim that the American family, as it has always been defined, is becoming and “endangered species,” with the rising divorce rate and the enormous increase in single-parent families and people – especially women – living alone. Women's abdication of their age-old responsibility for the family is also being blamed for the apathy and moral delinquency of the “me generation.”

Can we keep on shrugging all this off as enemy propaganda – “their problem, not ours?” I think we must at least admit and begin openly to discuss feminist denial of the importance of family, of women's own needs to give and get love and nurture, tender loving care.

What worries me today are the agonizing conflicts young and not-so-young women are facing – or denying – as they come up against the biological clock, at thirty-five, thirty-six, thirty-nine, forty, and cannot “choose” to have a child. I fought for the right to choose, and will continue to defend that right, against reactionary forces who have already taken it away for poor women now denied Medicaid for abortion, and would take it away for all women with a constitutional amendment. But I think we must begin to discuss, in new terms, the choice to have children.

What worries me today is “choices” women have supposedly won, which are not real. How can a woman freely “choose” to have a child when her paycheck is needed for the rent or mortgage, when her job isn't geared to taking care of a child, when there is no national policy for parental leave, and no assurance that her job will be waiting for her if she takes off to have a child?

What worries me today is that despite the fact that more than 45 per cent of the mothers of children under six are now working because of economic necessity due to inflation, compared with only 10 per cent in 1960; no major national effort is being made for child-care services by government, business, labor, Democratic or Republican parties – or by the women's movement itself.

5. Fight to Veto 'Dirty Dozen' Pesticides

An international campaign has been launched yesterday to ban the use and sale of the “dirty dozen”, a list of pesticide chemicals that have been linked with cancer, birth defects and poisonings.

Friends of the Earth have joined forces with other environmental groups in Britain and abroad to have the 12 pesticide active ingredients banned worldwide.

“Many of the chemicals are already banned in several countries but the British government continues to give official clearance to them for use in agriculture, the home and garden,” a spokesman said.

The campaign is being supported by groups in 25 countries taking simultaneous action.

“Manufacture, import and export trade is allowed in all 12 of the 'dirty dozen' pesticides, even though there is worldwide evidence of their bad effects.

“Some of the chemicals have been linked with cancer and birth defects, while Parathion is a nerve-poison pesticide so acutely toxic that a teaspoonful splashed on the skin is fatal.

“Paraquat is also so poisonous that it has been responsible for many deaths in both humans and animals.”

“These pesticides should be immediately suspended by the British government, pending a full and public review procedure, in which the evidence against them can be heard,” said FE pesticides campaigner. “They must be assumed guilty until proven innocent. Thousands of people have suffered and environments have been ruined. The case against the 'dirty dozen' is overwhelming, and the government must explain why it insists on letting this irresponsible trade go on.”