More than a century has passed since women’s suffrage was enacted in the United States, but strengthening the platforms of women primary candidates is not enough (although this is a great start).
Twitter user Robin, a self-proclaimed old woman, urged her fellow Americans to ponder the list of nine freedoms that were not universally granted to women in the United States in 1971, the year Helen Reddy soon released the national anthem.i am a woman,” On top of that.
Even if you remember singing along as a child, these facts may come as a shock. Check out Snopes.
- credit card: Previous Equal Credit Opportunity Act In 1974, a married woman could not get a credit card without her husband’s signature. Single women, divorcees, and widows were often required to have a male co-signer. This double standard often resulted in female applicants being issued card limits that were up to 50% lower than men earning the same wage.
- Pregnant workers: of pregnancy discrimination law A law enacted in 1978 protected pregnant women from dismissal due to impending childbirth. But it came with A big loophole that still needs to be closed. The language of the law states that employers must accommodate pregnant workers only if they make concessions to other employees who are “equal in ability or ability to work.”
- Jury Duty: In 1975, Supreme Court declared it constitutionally unacceptable for states to deny women juror opportunities. This is the arena where we all come together. You’ve come a long way, baby. It is now perfectly normal for men who are the primary caregivers of young children to be excused from jury duty.
- military combat: Former Secretary of Defense in 2013 leon panetta and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, the Pentagon announced: The direct combat exclusion rule has been rescinded. Women were prohibited from serving in combat positions such as artillery, armored soldiers, and infantry. At the time of this announcement, the military had already killed more than 130 female soldiers and wounded more than 800 on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- Ivy League admission fees: Those who think of elite universities as hotbeds of humanity… protests against sexual assault Title IX activists would do well to remember the following: Columbia University did not admit women until 1983.slightly following in the footsteps of other Ivy League schools such as Harvard University (1977), Dartmouth College (1972), Brown University (1971), Yale University (1969), and Princeton University (1969). recently, Single-sex higher education options for women far exceed those for menBut the increased networking power and earning potential that comes with an Ivy League degree remains the same.
- Workplace Harassment: In 1977, women who were sexually harassed in the workplace received confirmation that they could sue their employers in three separate courts. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 1998, the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex harassment was also illegal. In between there was a 1991 television event. Anita Hill’s shocking testimony against her former boss, Supreme Court Justice (and then nominee) Clarence Thomas.
- Spousal consent: In 1993, spousal rape was officially decriminalized in all 50 states. Not tonight, or I’ll have a headache. in the form of a wife legal backup.
- Health insurance: In 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act established that no health insurance plan established after March of that year could charge women higher premiums than men for the same benefits. This was bad news for women who had health insurance through their jobs and whose employers were subject to discriminatory systems enacted before 2010. Of course, that’s all old history now.
- Contraceptives: In 1972, Supreme Court makes contraception legal for all citizensRegardless of marital status, he said, “If the right to privacy means anything, it is the right of individuals, whether married or single, to be free from unwarranted government interference in matters that fundamentally affect them, such as the decision to have or not to have children.” (However, it is worth noting that in 1972, states could constitutionally prohibit and punish sex outside of marriage.)
Feminism is not just for other women.
Note: An earlier version of this post appeared on the site in 2019.
Related content:
Women Don’t Need to Apply: A Disheartening 1938 Rejection Letter from Disney Animation
How the bicycle fueled the women’s rights movement (circa 1890)
Bizarre vintage postcards document propaganda against women’s rights from 100 years ago
The Library of Congress has digitized over 16,000 pages of letters and speeches from the women’s suffrage movement. You can also help with the transcription
Ayun Halliday I am a writer, illustrator, and theater maker living in New York.
Source: Open Culture – www.openculture.com
