[originaltext] In 1966, the Third National Conference on the Status of Women

In 1966, the Third National Conference on the Status of Women reported that, aside from having the vote, women were discriminated against in almost every other aspect of American life.  It became apparent to a small group of delegates to the conference that the only way to bring about change was to form an organization of their own. And so the National Organization for Women(NOW)was born. The first meeting was held later that same year and attracted three hundred men and women form all parts of the country. It was the first effort to bring people together on the national level to work on equal opportunities for the female population. Since then, the National Organization for Women has grown to a membership of 100,000 and has over seven hundred chapters worldwide. NOW has helped to bring about important changes in attitudes toward women and to give them new political, economic and social rights. Although there are still areas in which women are looked down upon,  they generally agree that more choices are open to them today than ever before. This is nowhere more apparent that in their participation in the workforce. In the United States, more than one-half of the women over sixteen work, and more than ever they are filling the so-called "men-only jobs". Women are choosing to become auto mechanics, police officers, and ministers. Even though these jobs bring with them a great degree of satisfaction, they often create a unique set of circumstances.