Women’s Economic Rights – Factors
Factor Beginning Middle End
Federal Judgement: Judgement: Judgement:
government.
Evidence: Evidence: Evidence:
The Homestead Act 1862 A Women’s Bureau was established in the President Kennedy’s Commission on the
gave women the right to Department of Labour in 1920 with the aim Status of Women, which reported in
own their own land on of improving working conditions, however it 1963, recommended fair hiring practises
the Great Plains. was met with resistance from employers and equal pay. It also recommended
In 1872, the federal and male labour unions, and achieved little. affordable childcare and paid maternity
government passed a law The Shepherd-Towner Act (1921) made leave, but did little about this.
that required equal pay funds available for maternity and infant The Equal Pay Act 1963, enforced by the
for equal work for female health education, however the medical Equal Employment Opportunities
federal government profession resisted free medical care and Commission, outlawed discrimination in
employees. funding was terminated in 1929. the pay of men and women in the same
Legislation to introduce an 8 hour working work.
day for women was heavily opposed by big The Civil Rights Act 1964 prohibited
business and was declared unconstitutional discrimination on the basis of gender.
in 1922. In 1967, President Lyndon Johnson
The principle of lower pay for female expanded affirmative action in the
workers was firmly established by the federal government to include women.
federal government’s National Recovery By 1969, federal funding provided an
Administration (est. 1933) under the incentive for some employers to adopt
leadership of Frances Perkins. It also equal pay.
reduced working hours, which benefitted Griggs v. Duke Power (1971) allowed
women. affirmative action in employment, which
Social Security Act (1935) introduced could have helped women to gain better
welfare benefits for poor families, which jobs.
benefitted married women but was not President Nixon vetoed the Child
designed specifically for them. Development Bill of 1972, which would
Aid to Dependent Children (1935) helped have provided a multi-billion dollar
young women with young families who national day care system.
were unable to work and had no male The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (1974)
breadwinner, however this was mostly given banned discrimination in access to
to white women and they had to go through credit.
a frequently humiliating process. Geduldig v. Aiello (1974) allowed
The Fair Labour Standards Act (1938) set employers to not give pregnant
new minimum wage levels, but women’s employees benefits.
wages were still lower than men’s. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (1978)
Federal grants for day care centres for outlawed employment discrimination
working mothers in the armaments on account of pregnancy.
industry, awarded under the Lanham Act, United Automobile Workers v. Johnson
were gradually withdrawn between 1942 Controls (1991) held that not allowing
and 1946 until only three states continued women to work in hazardous places
to fund child care. where men are allowed to work is
Goesaert v. Cleary (1948) held that states discrimination.
could prohibit women from being The federal government refused to
bartenders. legislate for paid maternity leave.
1
Factor Beginning Middle End
Federal Judgement: Judgement: Judgement:
government.
Evidence: Evidence: Evidence:
The Homestead Act 1862 A Women’s Bureau was established in the President Kennedy’s Commission on the
gave women the right to Department of Labour in 1920 with the aim Status of Women, which reported in
own their own land on of improving working conditions, however it 1963, recommended fair hiring practises
the Great Plains. was met with resistance from employers and equal pay. It also recommended
In 1872, the federal and male labour unions, and achieved little. affordable childcare and paid maternity
government passed a law The Shepherd-Towner Act (1921) made leave, but did little about this.
that required equal pay funds available for maternity and infant The Equal Pay Act 1963, enforced by the
for equal work for female health education, however the medical Equal Employment Opportunities
federal government profession resisted free medical care and Commission, outlawed discrimination in
employees. funding was terminated in 1929. the pay of men and women in the same
Legislation to introduce an 8 hour working work.
day for women was heavily opposed by big The Civil Rights Act 1964 prohibited
business and was declared unconstitutional discrimination on the basis of gender.
in 1922. In 1967, President Lyndon Johnson
The principle of lower pay for female expanded affirmative action in the
workers was firmly established by the federal government to include women.
federal government’s National Recovery By 1969, federal funding provided an
Administration (est. 1933) under the incentive for some employers to adopt
leadership of Frances Perkins. It also equal pay.
reduced working hours, which benefitted Griggs v. Duke Power (1971) allowed
women. affirmative action in employment, which
Social Security Act (1935) introduced could have helped women to gain better
welfare benefits for poor families, which jobs.
benefitted married women but was not President Nixon vetoed the Child
designed specifically for them. Development Bill of 1972, which would
Aid to Dependent Children (1935) helped have provided a multi-billion dollar
young women with young families who national day care system.
were unable to work and had no male The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (1974)
breadwinner, however this was mostly given banned discrimination in access to
to white women and they had to go through credit.
a frequently humiliating process. Geduldig v. Aiello (1974) allowed
The Fair Labour Standards Act (1938) set employers to not give pregnant
new minimum wage levels, but women’s employees benefits.
wages were still lower than men’s. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (1978)
Federal grants for day care centres for outlawed employment discrimination
working mothers in the armaments on account of pregnancy.
industry, awarded under the Lanham Act, United Automobile Workers v. Johnson
were gradually withdrawn between 1942 Controls (1991) held that not allowing
and 1946 until only three states continued women to work in hazardous places
to fund child care. where men are allowed to work is
Goesaert v. Cleary (1948) held that states discrimination.
could prohibit women from being The federal government refused to
bartenders. legislate for paid maternity leave.
1
