The Frisky Shares 9 Things American Women Take for Granted
Free to be a woman
Thanks to those who fought for women’s rights many of uswill never know what it’s like to be denied choices, like who we want for President or if we want to have children. To commemorate Women’s History Month, TheFrisky.com came up with Nine Things American Women Take for Granted.
1. The right to vote
The 19th Constitutional Amendment was passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified Aug. 18, 1920. —TheFrisky.com
2. The right to make as much money as men
There are still many out there fighting for women to make the same higher wages as their male counterparts, but 1938’s Fair Labor Standards Act, which “established minimum wage without regard to sex,” made it possible for us to even be pissed about making less. —-TheFrisky.com
3. The right to have a “man’s” job
Sure, you had to be paid as much as the guys at work, but you could never, ever be promoted above one. At least not until the Civil Rights Act of 1964. But it wasn’t until the 1973 Supreme Court upheld a 1968 ruling that sex-segregated ads for employment were made illegal. —TheFrisky.com
4. The right to go to college
Back in the day, educating women wasn’t a priority. In 1870, just one-fifth of resident college and university students were women. Today, women outnumber men on college campuses. —-TheFrisky.com
5. The right to choose our own religion
Way back when, the religion of the man that you chose to marry is what you would convert to. No questions, no nothing. Even if you’re an atheist, you can appreciate this. —-TheFrisky.com
6. The right to own our own property
The first law that said it was permissible for a woman’s name to be listed on a deed came into effect in the middle 1800s. The catch? She had to have her husband’s permission to do so. —-TheFrisky.com
7. The right to choose to have children, or not
Everyone knows about the birth control movement of the ’70s; the struggle started even earlier. —TheFrisky.com
8. The right to work while pregnant
The 1978 Pregnancy Discrimination Act declared that a woman cannot be fired or denied a job or a promotion because she is, or may become, pregnant. It also stated that she cannot be forced to take pregnancy leave if she is willing and able to work. —TheFrisky.com
9. The right to not have sex with our husbands
It wasn’t until 1976 that a law was established making it illegal for a husband to rape his wife. Enough said. —TheFrisky.com