On October 24, 1975, nearly 90 percent of Iceland’s women did something extraordinary. They stopped. Women across the country refused to go to paid jobs,…
Category: Community Impact
1975 — Taylor v. Louisiana Opens the Jury Box to Women
Louisiana did not completely forbid women from serving on juries. Instead, it automatically placed men in the jury pool while requiring women to file a…
1974 — The Equal Credit Opportunity Act Expands Women’s Financial Freedom
A woman could earn a paycheck, manage the household bills, and help support her family—yet still be told she needed her husband’s signature to receive…
1973 — Roe v. Wade Protects Abortion Rights
Before Roe v. Wade, state law could force a woman to continue a pregnancy regardless of what it meant for her health, safety, family, education,…
1972 — Title IX Bans Sex Discrimination in Education
Before Title IX, many girls learned early that schools could dream bigger for boys than they did for them. Boys often received better teams, better…
1971 — Reed v. Reed Challenges Legal Preference for Men
Sally Reed was not asking for special treatment. She was a grieving mother asking to administer her son’s estate. But Idaho law said that if…
1965 — Griswold v. Connecticut Protects Married Couples’ Access to Contraception
Before Griswold v. Connecticut, the state of Connecticut claimed the power to police even a married couple’s private decision to use birth control. That may…
1848 — The Seneca Falls Convention and the Birth of a Movement
In 1848, women were expected to know their place. They were told to stay quiet in politics, obedient in marriage, limited in education, and dependent…