Eleanor Smeal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eleanor Smeal
|
|
|---|---|
Smeal in 2009
|
|
| Born |
Eleanor Marie Cutri
July 30, 1939 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Florida Duke University |
| Known for | Cofounder of the Feminist Majority Foundation Twice served as president of the National Organization for Women |
Eleanor Marie Smeal (born July 30, 1939) is an American activist. She has worked for women's rights for many years. She is the president and a co-founder of the Feminist Majority Foundation, which started in 1987. She also served as president of the National Organization for Women (NOW) three times. Eleanor Smeal is known for her work as an organizer, lobbyist, and political expert.
Smeal has often appeared on TV shows like Good Morning America and The Today Show. She has also been on radio and spoken to Congress. She has organized many events and given speeches about feminism, equality, and human rights. These topics are important for people in the United States and around the world.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Eleanor Smeal was born on July 30, 1939, in Ashtabula, Ohio. Her family came from Italy. Her father was an insurance salesman. After high school, she went to Duke University in 1957. At that time, Duke University had fewer women students. It was also not yet integrated, meaning students of all races could not attend together.
Eleanor helped in the fight for integration at Duke. She graduated in 1961. She also earned a master's degree in political science from the University of Florida. Since 2001, Smeal has also been the publisher of Ms. magazine. The Feminist Majority Foundation owns and publishes this magazine.
Personal Life and Early Activism
While at Duke University, Eleanor met Charles Smeal. They got married in 1963 and had two children. They lived near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Eleanor Smeal became more interested in women's rights in the late 1960s. She noticed that there were not enough day-care centers for her child. She also found that wives and mothers did not have disability insurance. These issues made her want to learn more about feminism. In 1968, Smeal joined the board of the local League of Women Voters. Two years later, she and her husband joined the National Organization for Women (NOW). In the 1970s, newspapers called her the first housewife to lead NOW.
Working for Women's Rights
Eleanor Smeal joined the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1970. She served as its president from 1977 to 1982, and again from 1985 to 1987.
After leaving NOW in 1987, Smeal saw a need for a new women's rights group. This group would combine research, education, and political action. A 1986 poll showed that many women in the U.S. saw themselves as feminists. Smeal wanted to create a group that would help women and men who supported equality. So, she co-founded the Feminist Majority Foundation in 1987.
Smeal has helped pass several important laws. These include the Free Access to Clinic Entrances law, signed in 1994. She also worked on the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the Violence Against Women Act. She also fought for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in the 1970s and 1980s.
Leading the NOW Organization
Eleanor Smeal was elected president of NOW three times.
First Term: 1977-1979
Eleanor Smeal first became president of NOW in 1977. At that time, NOW was working hard to get the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) passed. The ERA is a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. Smeal helped convince a member of Congress, Elizabeth Holtzman, to bring the ERA proposal to Congress.
Smeal was a main organizer of the 1978 March for ERA. More than 100,000 people marched. Because of this, Congress voted to extend the deadline for the ERA until June 30, 1982.
Second Term: 1979-1982
In 1979, Smeal was reelected as NOW's president. In her second term, she worked to make Social Security fairer for women.
Smeal was the first person to use the term "gender gap." She used it to describe how men and women vote differently in elections. Despite NOW's efforts, the ERA was not passed by the 1982 deadline. It was only three states short of being ratified.
By the end of her second term, Smeal had helped NOW grow a lot. The organization had 220,000 members and a budget of $13 million each year.
Third Term: 1985-1987
Smeal ran for president of NOW a third time in 1985. She ran against the previous president, Judy Goldsmith. Smeal believed NOW needed to be more active and speak out more on different issues. She also felt the organization had lost focus and members.
In July 1985, Smeal won the election. She said she would continue working on reproductive rights. She also planned a march for reproductive rights for the next year. This march, in 1986, was the first March for Women's Lives. It brought over 150,000 people to Washington and Los Angeles to support women's reproductive rights. In 1987, Smeal also founded the Feminist Majority Foundation.
Working for the Equal Rights Amendment
Eleanor Smeal has supported the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) for a long time. She has campaigned for it since the 1970s, for over fifty years. In January 2022, she led a rally outside the White House. This was two years after Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the Amendment in January 2020. Smeal continues to work hard to get the ERA passed. She is one of the most well-known activists for it.
Recognition and Awards
Eleanor Smeal has received many honors for her work:
- In 1979, she was featured on a Supersisters trading card.
- Also in 1979, Time magazine named her one of "50 Faces for America's Future."
- In 1983, the World Almanac chose Smeal as one of the most influential women in the United States.
- In 2010, she gave the graduation speech at Rutgers University. She also received an honorary doctorate degree.
- In 2015, Smeal was added to the National Women's Hall of Fame.
- U.S. News & World Report named her the fourth most influential lobbyist in Washington.
- In January 2025, President Joe Biden named Smeal as a recipient of the Presidential Citizens Medal.
Writing and Ideas
In 1980, Eleanor Smeal created the term "gender gap." She used it to describe how men and women vote differently by political party. This term is now commonly used. Her 1984 book, How and Why Women Will Elect the Next President, correctly showed a gender gap in politics.
She also wrote a piece called "The Art of Building Feminist Institutions to Last." This was for the 2003 book Sisterhood Is Forever: The Women's Anthology for a New Millennium.
See also
In Spanish: Eleanor Smeal para niños
