Woman & Finance: The History of Women and Financial Freedom

 

Universally, Women have fought for freedom since the beginning of time. Financial freedom is no different. Brave ladies have tried to overcome blatant sexism and strive to own property, whilst having to fight for the right to vote. Women today are still fighting for equal opportunities within the workplace and financial realm. As time goes on, the fight for equality is closer and closer to being won, giving women equal rights in all facets of their lives. 

1769: Women become “one” with their husbands when married. Men, however, were considered human with guaranteed rights so whatever was the woman’s pre-marriage became their husband since women had no rights at the time and was considered property. 

1771: New York becomes the first state to require a woman’s consent if her husband attempts to sell property that she brought to a marriage. 

1777: Women’s voting rights are taken away state by state. States had the right to make voting laws and most decided to leave women and African Americans out. 

1839: 62 years later, Married women are finally given the chance to maintain ownership over their property. The United States passed a law called “The Married Women’s Property Act” which helped women keep their property when becoming married and losing it to their husbands. This law allowed married women to own property, make and keep income, and partake in business.

1920: Nearly 100 years later, white women are given the right to vote. 

1963: The Equality Pay Act is passed in hopes to wage gaps based on gender. Since this act was passed, women have seen their wages continually rise, getting closer and closer to matching those of their male counterparts.

1964: The Civil Right Act was passed and changed civil rights and labor standards for African AMerican men and women.  It outlawed discrimination based on “race, color, religion, sex, or national origin”. 

1974:The Equal Credit Opportunity Act is Passed and made it illegal to deny credit on the base of sex or marital status. This law applies to banks, relatilors, and other financial institutions. 

2011: The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is formed to oversee the fair lending practices of financial institutions and protect consumers from discriminatory business practices.

2020: While Women in America have overall the same financial freedoms as men today (opening accounts, taking out loans, etc), women in North Africa, Middle East, South Asia, Nepal and other countries are still fighting for these same freedoms. The fight for equality has not been won until we are all equal.

Want to Help and Learn More? Visit these sites to make a change:

Donate and Support:

https://support.womenforwomen.org/donate?src=GSEV21011A&ms=cpc_google_monthly+giving&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=monthly+giving&utm_content=gs+ad&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2tCGBhCLARIsABJGmZ7wfNi_oRlW53pFBU9VkevAB6QgJCpEywsdMEj9AvQIGgr4FbWtUUQaAr6FEALw_wcB

https://www.thebalancesmb.com/saving-the-world-with-charities-for-women-and-girls-4158742

Learn More:

https://www.oecd.org/dac/gender-development/47566053.pdf

https://landportal.org/node/10139

Citations:

“Women's Rights and Their Money: a Timeline from Cleopatra to Lilly Ledbetter.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 11 Aug. 2014, www.theguardian.com/money/us-money-blog/2014/aug/11/women-rights-money-timeline-history. 

“A Timeline of American Women's Fight For Financial Rights.” Smart Money Mamas, 1 Mar. 2021, smartmoneymamas.com/womens-history-money.