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Margaret Sanger founds the American Birth Control League, which evolves into the Planned Parenthood Federation of America in 1942.
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Mary McLeod Bethune organizes the National Council of Negro Women, a coalition of black women's groups that lobbies against job discrimination, racism, and sexism.
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The National Council of Negro Women, Inc. is a nonprofit membership organization comprised of 36 national African American women’s organizations and more than 230 community and campus based sections. NCNW’s mission is to lead, empower and advocate for nearly three million women,their families and communities.We seek to harness the collective power of women of African descent,so that they may realize their full potential and create a just society that enhances the quality of life for all people.
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President John Kennedy establishes the President's Commission on the Status of Women . The report issued by the Commission in 1963 documents substantial discrimination against women in the workplace and makes specific recommendations for improvement, including fair hiring practices, paid maternity leave, and affordable child care.
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Eleanor Roosevelt was appointed as the chairwoman in the President's Commission on the Status of Women.
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Author: Betty Friedan
A nonfiction book
Published in 1963 -
The National Organization for Women (NOW) is founded by a group of feminists including Betty Friedan.
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The National Organization for Women (NOW) is founded . The largest women's rights group in the U.S., NOW seeks to end sexual discrimination, especially in the workplace, by means of legislative lobbying, litigation, and public demonstrations
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California becomes the first state to adopt a "no fault" divorce law, which allows couples to divorce by mutual consent. By 1985 every state has adopted a similar law. Laws are also passed regarding the equal division of common property.
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Wangari Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement , a non-governmental organization promoting environmental conservation and women’s rights.
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In Schultz v. Wheaton Glass Co., a U.S. Court of Appeals rules that jobs held by men and women need to be "substantially equal" but not "identical" to fall under the protection of the Equal Pay Act. An employer cannot, for example, change the job titles of women workers in order to pay them less than men.
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Ms. Magazine is first published as a sample insert in New York magazine; 300,000 copies are sold out in 8 days. The first regular issue is published in July 1972. The magazine becomes the major forum for feminist voices, and cofounder and editor Gloria Steinem is launched as an icon of the modern feminist movement
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As a result of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court establishes a woman's right to safe and legal abortion, overriding the anti-abortion laws of many states.
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Author: Alice Walker
Published in 1982 -
EMILY's List (Early Money Is Like Yeast) is established as a financial network for pro-choice Democratic women running for national political office. The organization makes a significant impact on the increasing numbers of women elected to Congress.
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Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson, the Supreme Court finds that sexual harassment is a form of illegal job discrimination.
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The Violence Against Women Act tightens federal penalties for sex offenders, funds services for victims of rape and domestic violence, and provides for special training of police officers.
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In United States v. Virginia, the Supreme Court rules that the all-male Virginia Military School has to admit women in order to continue to receive public funding. It holds that creating a separate, all-female school will not suffice.
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The Supreme Court rules in Kolstad v. American Dental Association that a woman can sue for punitive damages for sex discrimination if the anti-discrimination law was violated with malice or indifference to the law, even if that conduct was not especially severe.
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In Nevada Department of Human Resources v. Hibbs, the Supreme Court rules that states can be sued in federal court for violations of the Family Leave Medical Act.
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Wangari Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her contribution to fighting for democratic rights and especially for encouraging women to better their situation
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Author : Sally G. McMillen
Published in 2008 -
President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, which allows victims of pay discrimination to file a complaint with the government against their employer within 180 days of their last paycheck. Previously, victims (most often women) were only allowed 180 days from the date of the first unfair paycheck. This Act is named after a former employee of Goodyear who alleged that she was paid 15–40% less than her male counterparts, which was later found to be accurate.
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Women will be allowed to serve in any job in the armed services,
provided they meet gender neutral performance standards. This move, initiated in 2013 and finalized under Defense Secretary Ash Carter, will open approximately 220,000 jobs to females.
In a 5–3 decision on June 27, 2016, the Supreme Court decides that a Texas law imposed on abortion clinics is unconstitutional and provides an unnecessary burden on women seeking abortions.
