8 Feminist Reasons We Know 2015 Is Just 1972 All Over Again

Impact

Freeing nipples. Fighting for reproductive justice. Demanding equal pay. 

If you know anything about feminist history, you might wonder what year it is — 2015 or 1972? The fact that we talk about the same issues in the same way suggests that little has changed between the height of the women's rights movement of the 1970s and its reincarnation in recent years.

While there's a lot we can pin to the failure of the Equal Rights Amendment in 1982, most notably the continued gender wage gap, there are some issues that cannot be resolved directly through gender-based policies. Changes in the law do not directly correlate with social changes; from societal beauty standards to sexual harassment on the streets, it's almost like time has stood still for women in terms of gender equality.

In case you're doubtful that the 2010s look like the 1970s, just check out the following visual evidence:

1. We're still fighting to free the boobs (and this time, the nipples).

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2. We're still "taking back the night" to reclaim our bodies and our sexuality.

Creative Commons and Twitter

3. We're still fighting for reproductive rights and control over our own bodies.

Twitter and Tumblr

4. Sexist representations of women in the media still exist.

Twitter and Youtube

5. And we're still disrupting your walk to work with evocative messages on the street.

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6. In fact, sexism still pervades all aspects of life, even sports. 

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Need we recall last year's disastrous Twirlgate.

7. We're still calling for equal pay for equal work.

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While the pay gap has closed nearly 20% since 1970, women are still paid less for the same work as a man in their respective fields. 

8. Not to mention we're still waiting for an Equal Rights Amendment.

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While new legislation makes the prospect more promising than it's been in three decades, the 10-year fight for ratification ending in 1982 was a scar on the women's rights movement. 

Still not convinced that history is cyclical, intimating that little has changed thus far?

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Even Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pitman Hughes are taking the same damn photos.