Betty Friedan was an American activist and writer who is often credited with starting the second wave feminist movement. She was born in 1921 in Peoria, Illinois, and became well known across the nation about forty years later after publishing her book, The Feminine Mystique 1. Her book describes the unhappiness many middle-class housewives felt during this time as they were expected to find happiness only in marriage and motherhood. She advocated for women's access to education, meaningful careers, and other opportunities that bring greater independence. Her writings helped bring matters that are often ignored into broader public discussions and encouraged women to fight back against systems that were never set up for them to begin with. Friedan also helped establish the National Organization for Women in 1966 and served as its first president. She used the organization to advocate for the legal enforcement of women's rights, equal employment, and reproductive freedom 2. Although her work didn't take into account intersectionality, as her work truly just reflects her experiences as a white, middle-class woman and doesn't reflect or represent all women, it served as the spark that set off the second-wave feminist movement in the U.S. She was constantly challenging traditional definitions of womanhood and helped push us towards the society that we now have today.