The National Organization for Women, commonly called NOW, is currently the largest nonprofit membership organization in the United States working to advance women's civil rights. The history of this activist organization began with its formation in 1966 and includes significant examples of public demonstrations for women's equality in all aspects of women's lives. As a contemporary organization, NOW has been publically advocating for six priority issues: advocating constitutional equality, ending violence against women, supporting abortion rights and other reproductive issues, promoting diversity and ending racism, forwarding lesbian rights, and ensuring economic justice for women.

The organization was formed in 1966 by several feminist activists who were advocating the enforcement of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited sex discrimination in employment. Founding ...