1977 National Women's Conference
The National Women's Conference of 1977 was a four-day event during November 18–21, 1977, as organized by the National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year. The conference drew around 2,000 delegates along with 15,000-20,000 observers in Houston, Texas, United States. The United States Congress approved $5 million in public appropriations for both the state and national conferences as HR 9924, sponsored by Congresswoman Patsy Mink, which Ford signed into law. In 1977 at the start of his presidency, President Jimmy Carter chose a new Commission and appointed Congresswoman Bella Abzug to head it. Numerous events were held over the next two years, culminating in the National Women's Conference.
The arrival of the torch, carried by a relay of women runners from Seneca Falls, New York, to Houston, Texas, during the Opening Ceremonies of the Conference. Conference Chairperson Bella Abzug (behind the podium); First Ladies Rosalynn Carter, Betty Ford, and Lady Bird Johnson (front row on right, L-R in green, blue, and red); and poet Maya Angelou (far right) on stage. | |
| Date | November 18–21, 1977 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 3 days |
| Venue | Sam Houston Coliseum |
| Location | Houston, Texas |
| Theme | Women's issues, ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment |
| Budget | $5,000,000 |
| Organised by | National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year |
| Outcome | The Spirit of Houston |
The conference represents a turning point for the political history of second-wave feminism in the United States. A number of controversial issues, including abortion rights and sexual orientation, were flashpoints in the event's program. Historian Marjorie J. Spruill argues that the anti-feminists led by Phyllis Schlafly had a more successful follow-up. They moved the Republican Party to a more socially conservative position. As the Reagan administration came into office in January 1981, much of the political support for the conference and its output, The Spirit of Houston, dissipated in national politics.