The Task Force on Women's Rights and Responsibilities was an American advisory committee appointed by President

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

on October 1, 1969. The stated goal of the task force was to "review the present status of women in our society and recommend what might be done in the future to further advance their opportunities." On December 15, 1969, the Task Force released ''A Matter of Simple Justice'', a 77-page report.

Recommendations

The Task Force made five recommendations in ''A Matter of Simple Justice'', including: * The establishment of an Office of Women's Rights and Responsibilities, reporting directly to the President. * The convening of a

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...

conference by the White House to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. * Presidential-led congressional action, including: ** An

equal rights amendment The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was a proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States, United States Constitution that would explicitly prohibit sex discrimination. It is not currently a part of the Constitution, though its Ratifi ...

to the

Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...

. ** Amendments to the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1957. ** Amendments to the

Fair Labor Standards Act The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) is a United States labor law that creates the right to a minimum wage, and " time-and-a-half" overtime pay when people work over forty hours a week. It also prohibits employment of minors in "oppre ...

and

Social Security Act The Social Security Act of 1935 is a law enacted by the 74th United States Congress and signed into law by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt on August 14, 1935. The law created the Social Security (United States), Social Security program as ...

, as well as the

Internal Revenue Code The Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (IRC), is the domestic portion of federal statutory tax law in the United States. It is codified in statute as Title 26 of the United States Code. The IRC is organized topically into subtitles and sections, co ...

. ** Federal support for child care and family assistance. * Cabinet-level action to counteract

gender discrimination Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but primarily affects women and girls. It has been linked to gender roles and stereotypes, and may include the belief that one sex or gender is in ...

. * Presidential appointment of more women to federal government positions.

Members

* Virginia Allan (Chair), Executive Vice President of Cahalan Drug Stores, Inc. * Hon. Elizabeth Athanasakos, Municipal Court Judge and Attorney, Fort Lauderdale, FL * Ann R. Blackham, President, Ann R. Blackham & Company, Winchester, MA * P. Dee Boersma, Student Government Leader, graduate student,

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

Evelyn Cunningham Evelyn Cunningham (January 25, 1916 – April 28, 2010) was an American journalist and aide to Nelson Rockefeller.The Associated Press, "Evelyn Cunningham, Journalist and Aide, Dies at 94", ''The New York Times'', April 29, 2010available onlin ...

, Director, Women's Unit, Office of the Governor, New York, NY * Sister Ann Ida Gannon, B.V.M., President,

Mundelein College Mundelein College was a private, independent, Roman Catholic Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. Located on the edge of the Rogers Park, Chicago, Rogers Park and Edgewater, Chicago, Edgewater neig ...

, Chicago, IL *

Vera Glaser Vera Glaser (1916 – November 26, 2008) was a reporter, journalist, and is considered a pioneer for women's rights. She is best known for challenging President Richard Nixon at a press conference on the lack of women in his administration, which ...

, Correspondent,

Knight Newspapers Knight Ridder was an American media company, specializing in newspaper and Internet publishing. It was bought by McClatchy on June 27, 2006, allowing the latter to become the second largest newspaper publisher in the United States at the time, ...

Dorothy Haener Dorothy Haener (December 18, 1917 – January 6, 2001) was a union activist for the United Auto Workers International Union's Women's Department and a founder of the National Organization for Women. Early life and union work Dorothy Haener was ...

, International Representative, Women's Department, UAW, Detroit, MI * Laddie F. Hutar, President, Public Affairs Services Associate, Inc., Chicago, IL * Katherine B. Massenburg, Chairperson, Maryland Commission on the Status of Women, Baltimore, MD * William C. Mercer, Vice President, Personnel Relations,

American Telephone & Telegraph Company AT&T Corporation, an abbreviation for its former name, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, was an American telecommunications company that provided voice, video, data, and Internet telecommunications and professional services to busi ...

, New York, NY * Dr. Alan Simpson, President,

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States. The college be ...

, Poughkeepsie, NY * Evelyn E. Whitlow, Attorney, Los Angeles, CA

References

{{Reflist

External links

A Matter of Simple Justice -- Report of the President's Task Force on Women's Rights
Stout, L., & Pennsylvania State University. (2012).
A Matter of Simple Justice: the untold story of Barbara Hackman Franklin and a few good women
University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University Libraries. United States presidential task forces Presidency of Richard Nixon