Economic Rights of Women in the United States
"The test for whether or not you can hold a job should not be the arrangement of your chromosomes." Bella Abzug, U.S House of Representatives
During the second half of the 19th century, women gained economic rights related to property, child custody, and divorce. Women lost their legal identity upon marriage: They could not hold property or land in their names, or write wills or contracts, nor did they have legal control over their own children. By the end of the century divorce was allowed on the grounds of cruelty in almost all states and all women had access to some form of property and earnings protection. In 1970, the federal Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act provided guidelines for title-based states for adopting the equitable distribution of property in order to grant women a larger share of assets in divorce settlements.
WWI caused a lot of women to enter the workforce, while their husbands went off to fight the war. Some worked in munitions and factories, others became nurses to help the injured soldiers. WWII called for more women to help out and fill in where necessary, due to the size of the war and the amount of men needed to fight. This time, women stayed in the workforce, after showing they were as capable as men.
Legislation that promoted equal treatment in the labor market was introduced during the second half of the twentieth century: the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This act prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
Currently, women in the United States hold positions in all ends of the workforce. However, there is still a wage gap when compared to men. This chart shows that overall, women are earning just 80% of what men earn.