Milestones in Gender Equality

Over time, there have been major advances in women’s economic, political, and personal rights in the United States. These include landmark legislation, the establishment of powerful and influential organizations, and Supreme Court decisions that affect gender equality. This timeline is an accounting of these moments in history. 

1848

The Married Women’s Property Act of 1848

This New York State law granted women the right to retain ownership of their property upon marriage. Section 1 of the law clarified that any property a woman owned at the time of her marriage, along with its earnings, would not be controlled by her husband, nor could it be used to settle his debts. A woman’s property would remain solely hers, as if she were unmarried. This legislation paved the way for similar laws in other states and contributed to the convening of the Seneca Falls Convention that same year.

Declaration of Sentiments

The Declaration of Sentiments, inspired by the Declaration of Independence, detailed the rights to which American women were entitled as citizens. Written mainly by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the declaration was signed by 68 women and 32 men, notable among them the abolitionist Frederick Douglass, during the Seneca Falls Convention. When the document was made public, the intense ridicule and criticism it received made many eventually withdraw their names.

1890 

In September 1889, the Wyoming state convention ratified a state constitution that included a provision granting voting rights to female citizens. One year later Wyoming was admitted to the union, formally making it the first state to grant women the right to vote.

1900 

By the start of the 20th century, every state had passed Married Women’s Property Acts, granting married women the rights to own property and keep the wages they earned as well as the right to sue or be sued.

1912

Juliette Gordon Low founds Girl Scouts of America USA in 1912 in Savannah, Georgia, with just 18 girls. Girl Scouts of the USA began as an effort to empower girls to explore their abilities and aspire beyond the limits society placed on them. The movement championed girls’ right to pursue their interests and have a positive impact. Today, with 1.7 million members, it has grown into a worldwide community that encourages girls to reach their fullest potential.

1918

Margaret Sanger wins her suit in New York to allow doctors to advise their married patients about birth control for health purposes. The birth control clinic that Sanger founded two years earlier in Brooklyn, called Sanger’s Birth Control Federation of America, later became Planned Parenthood in 1942.

1920

The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, granted women the right to vote across all states and in federal elections. Because the fight for suffrage began in the 1800s, few of the original supporters lived to see the amendment’s passage. Throughout the struggle, suffragists faced harsh opposition, including heckling, physical assaults, and imprisonment. New York State’s adoption of women’s suffrage in 1917 and President Wilson’s eventual support were milestones. However, the fight for inclusivity continued, as Black women and other minorities faced ongoing discrimination in voting practices.

1942

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Congress passed legislation to create the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) on May 14, 1942. The legislation was quickly signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Oveta Culp Hobby took the oath as its inaugural director on May 16. WAAC recruits more than 35,000 women for an anticipated 1,000 positions. In 1978, an act of Congress disestablished the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps so that women could be assimilated more closely into the Army structure.

1963 

The Equal Pay Act is passed by Congress. This law makes it illegal for employers to pay women lower wages than men for work requiring the same skill, effort, and responsibility. Employees suspecting pay discrimination have legal routes for recourse, including contacting an Equal Employment Opportunity counselor or directly filing a lawsuit.

1964

The landmark Civil Rights Act is passed. Title VII safeguards employees and job seekers from workplace discrimination or unfair wage gaps due to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It applies to all employment-related activities, from hiring and firing to promotions and working conditions, ensuring equal treatment in every aspect of employment.

1965

In 1961, Estelle T. Griswold and Dr. C. Lee Buxton opened a birth control clinic in New Haven, Connecticut, violating a state law that banned the use of contraceptives, and aiming to challenge its constitutionality. Their arrest led to the Supreme Court case Griswold v. Connecticut in 1965, which not only overturned the law but also established a new constitutional right to privacy.

1966 

The National Organization for Women (NOW) was established on June 30, 1966, by activists, including Betty Friedan, to combat sex discrimination and advocate for women’s rights. Over the years, NOW has been pivotal in significant advocacy efforts, including marches for the Equal Rights Amendment and women’s reproductive rights. Today, it remains the largest women’s rights activist organization in the U.S.

1967

The Supreme Court strikes down the state of Virginia’s Racial Integrity Act, abolishing restrictions on interracial marriage across the United States. The suit was brought by Mildred Loving, of African American and Native American descent, and her White husband, Richard Loving. Arrested in 1958 for their marriage in violation of Virginia’s anti-miscegenation laws, the Lovings fought back. Their legal battle led to the landmark Supreme Court ruling that declared all laws prohibiting interracial marriage unconstitutional. It marked a significant moment for civil rights and altered marriage legislation throughout the country.

1969  

The first “no-fault” divorce law is adopted by California, allowing divorce by mutual consent.  This legislation was influenced by Governor Brown’s earlier call for reform, and removed the need to prove fault (such as adultery) in divorce proceedings. Instead, marriages could be ended due to “irreconcilable differences.” It sparked a nationwide overhaul of divorce laws.

1972 

The Education Amendments Act, Title IX, prohibits exclusion from participation or denied benefits on the basis of sex in any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

1973

The Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade makes abortion legal, which guaranteed a constitutional right to abortion. (On June 24 2022, in the  Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade). In a separate ruling, Pittsburgh Press v. Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations, the Supreme Court rules that a ban on sex-segregated “help wanted” advertising does not violate a newspaper publisher’s First Amendment rights, thus supporting this ban.

1974

Housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, and sex is prohibited by section 109 of the Housing and Community Development Act. It expanded assistance for low-income families through various housing programs and introduced measures to improve mortgage and rural housing conditions. It also introduced the Community Development Block Grant program, allowing HUD to provide grant funds to local and state governments to be used to develop urban communities by creating more suitable living environments, expanding economic opportunities, and providing decent housing.

1975

States cannot systematically exclude women from juries, the Supreme Court rules in Taylor v. Louisiana. The Court emphasized that a fair cross-section of the community on juries is crucial for the integrity of the trial process, aligning with the principles of the Federal Jury Selection and Service Act of 1968.

1978

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act bans employment discrimination against women based on pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. The amendment excludes mandatory employer-paid health benefits for abortions, except in cases where the mother’s life is at risk or medical complications arise from an abortion, but does not forbid employers from offering such benefits.

1984 

The U.S. Supreme Court, in Roberts v. United State Jaycees, bans sex discrimination in membership for formerly all-male groups such as the Jaycees, Kiwanis, and Rotary Clubs.

1986

In Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson the Supreme Court rules that sexual harassment and a “hostile environment” in the workplace constitute sex discrimination that is actionable under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

1989

The right of states to deny public funding for abortions and to prohibit public hospitals from performing abortions is affirmed by the Supreme Court. Further restrictions on abortion were imposed by the 2003 Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, the first law to ban a specific abortion procedure, upheld by the Supreme Court in 2007. However, in 2016, the Supreme Court struck down onerous abortion clinic regulations that were forcing women’s clinics to close.

1993

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows workers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a newborn, newly adopted or placed child, or a seriously ill child, spouse, or parent or for their own serious health condition without fear of losing their jobs. Amendments extended the protections to workers with families in the military.

1994

The Violence Against Women Act funds services for victims of rape and domestic violence and allows women to seek civil rights remedies for gender-related crimes. Up for renewal every five years, in 2000 it created a legal assistance program for victims and addressed issues of dating violence and stalking. A bill to reauthorize the act in 2019 expired amid opposition from Senate conservatives. On March 15, 2022 the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 was signed into law by President Joe Biden as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022.

2003

In Lawrence v. Texas, the Supreme Court strikes down state laws that make gay sex a crime. The effect of this decision is the striking down of all remaining state sodomy laws, thereby affirming the legal rights of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people in America.

2009 

The Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act extends the period during which a victim can file a pay discrimination complaint against an employer to 180 days after their last paycheck.

2014

The Supreme Court rules that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage. The lawsuit, Obergefell v. Hodges, was brought by same-sex couples claiming that denying them the right to marry violated the 14th Amendment.

2017

In January 2017, 105 women (78D, 27R), making up 21% of the Senate and 19.3% of the House, held seats in the United States Congress, a new record. Currently, 151 women hold seats in Congress, including 125 in the House and 26 in the Senate, making up 28.7% and 26% of their respective chambers.

2020

The civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination applies to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. This ruling by the Supreme Court came in three cases of employees being fired because they were gay or transgender: Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia; Altitude Express Inc. v. Zarda; and R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes Inc. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

2021

Kamala Harris becomes the first woman to serve as Vice President of the United States, and also the first Black and Asian American person in this high office. The Biden administration chose a record number of women, including eight women of color, for Cabinet and other high positions.

2022

On May 12, the United States Senate confirms Admiral Linda Fagan as the first woman commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, making her the first woman to lead any of the U.S. armed forces. On January 21, 2025, she was fired from her post by the second Trump administration.

2023

Claudia Goldin’s 2023 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences marks a historic achievement, as she becomes the first solo woman to receive this honor, for her research on the challenges women face in achieving equal pay in the labor market.

Admiral Lisa Franchetti also makes history by becoming the first woman to lead the U.S. Navy, following the Senate’s approval of her appointment in November 2023. She also became the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Expecting More

Dissatisfaction with the position of women in society has been growing. In a Pew Research Survey of 3,143 Americans, more expressed dissatisfaction with the state of gender equality than they did in a study conducted three years earlier. About half of Americans say gaining the right to vote in 1920 was the most important milestone in advancing the position of women. Some also cited the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. A majority of Americans said feminism has had a positive impact on the lives of White, Black, and Hispanic women. About a quarter (24%) say feminism has helped wealthy women a lot; just 10% say it’s been equally helpful to poor women.

The Bottom Line

Despite great strides in women’s rights, from early laws that allowed women to own property to recent achievements like women leading in economics and the navy, the fight for complete gender equality is still ongoing. Our timeline highlights the successes along the way, but also points out the ongoing gaps and obstacles, especially regarding pay equity and leadership roles. The journey toward true gender equality will likely require more political activism, legislative support, and community involvement.