Betty Friedan, author of the ground-breaking book "The Feminine Mystique" died today of conjestive heart failure.

The feminine mystique, she said, was a phony bill of goods society sold to women that left them unfulfilled, suffering from "the problem that has no name" and seeking a solution in tranquilizers and psychoanalysis.

"A woman has got to be able to say, and not feel guilty, `Who am I, and what do I want out of life?' She mustn't feel selfish and neurotic if she wants goals of her own, outside of husband and children," Friedan said.

She had a desire to keep feminist politics in the mainstream, but was involved in quite a bit of radical organizing.

In the racial, political and sexual conflicts of the 1960s and '70s, Friedan's was one of the most commanding voices and recognizable presences in the women's movement.

As the first president of NOW in 1966, she staked out positions that seemed extreme at the time on such issues as abortion, sex-neutral help-wanted ads, equal pay, promotion opportunities and maternity leave.

Although, Friedan's work is not as pertinant now as it was then (especially with respect to race, class and sexuality) I STILL think folks need to be reminded that a women's one and only role is *not* in the kitchen or as mommy and wife. It is important for us to note her contributions and see not only how far we have come, but how much further we have to go, especially in light of the current attack on women's rights in this country.

via CNN.