Maura McNiel (April 11, 1921 – July 18, 2020) was an American feminist whose actions paved the way for women's studies, modern social work, advocacy on behalf of abused women, promotion of the Equal Rights Amendment, and passage of Title IX.
She became a member of the National Organization for Women and People for the American Way, seeking to expand her opportunities in the working world as a recent college graduate.
Growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, McNiel witnessed changes like desegregation, which motivated her to improve the rights and benefits of the disenfranchised.
[citation needed] McNiel became very involved in the Dallas feminist movement in the late 1960s through the 1980s.
[8] While not providing the blanket coverage, the Equal Rights Amendment would have, Title IX did grant the rights of educational freedom for women that would have resounding repercussions, expanding into the creation of more women's sports teams and athletic scholarships at the collegiate level.