The journey for women to gain financial rights in the United States has been long and challenging, marked by significant milestones and ongoing struggles. For much of America's history, women faced major barriers to financial independence and equality.

In the 19th century, married women had almost no control over their own money or property because of a legal principle called coverture. This principle meant that a woman's legal identity fell into her husband’s once she married. However, starting with the Married Women’s Property Acts in the mid-1800s, women began to gain more control over their property and earnings.

The fight for women’s rights took a leap forward in the early 20th century with the suffragist movement, reaching its peak with the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which granted women the right to vote. While this was a significant victory, women still faced financial inequality. The real change began to take shape in the 1960s and 70s. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 aimed to close the wage gap between men and women doing the same job. Despite this law, women’s earnings continued to lag behind men’s, leading to more efforts for equality. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was another crucial step, as it banned employment discrimination based on sex, helping women gain more opportunities in the workplace.

The 1970s brought more changes. The National Organization for Women (NOW) was founded in 1966, and while the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was not ratified, it highlighted the ongoing push for gender equality. The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 also helped by funding job training and education programs for women.

In the 1980s and 90s, laws continued to evolve. The Women’s Business Ownership Act of 1988 helped women start and run businesses. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 provided unpaid leave for family care, reflecting a growing recognition of women’s dual roles at work and at home.

Moving Forward

Today, while progress has been made, challenges remain. Women still face a wage gap, and women of color often experience even greater financial disparities. The Paycheck Fairness Act aims to address these ongoing issues, but has not yet passed despite being introduced in 1997 and proposed 27 times since then, the most recent being in 2023.

It is clear that the fight for financial rights for women in the U.S. has been a journey of determination and progress. From early legal changes to recent advocacy, each step has worked towards achieving economic equality. Although there is still work to be done, the progress made shows a strong commitment to ensuring that women have equal financial opportunities.