Biography

Governor Ray's Commission on the Status of Women was formed in the fall of 1969 when Governor Robert Ray convened a meeting in Des Moines of several Iowa women's organizations. Following the meeting, each organization submitted a list of suitable candidates to serve on the Commission. Ray appointed thirty-two women and men, including several legislators, to the Commission. Governor Ray's Commission on the Status of Women met for three years, from 1970 to 1972, when the Iowa legislature created a statutory Commission on the Status of Women. Many members of Governor Ray's Commission served on the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women, which had its first meeting in 1973.

The purpose of Governor Ray's Commission on the Status of Women (GCSW), as stated in a May 1970 summary, was to "discover the status that women hold in this state and to advise the Governor as to how that status should and could be improved." Betty J. Durden chaired the GCSW, which defined itself as a "moderate" voice for women's rights. The Commission addressed issues such as the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), abortion reform, daycare, equal pay for equal work, and sex discrimination in employment, insurance, and education. At the end of 1970, the GCSW reported two major legislative accomplishments: the passage of no-fault divorce laws and the addition of "sex" to the Iowa Civil Rights Act of 1965.

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