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The History of Women's Rights in America

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Ending Violence Against Women & Girls

LiveYourDream.org is a movement fiercely dedicated to ensuring every woman and girl has the opportunity to reach her full potential, live free from violence, and of course, live her dreams.

Our online community of nearly 100,000 volunteers and activists participate in actions to address some of the most serious challenges women and girls face today.

We are powered by Soroptimist, a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment.

Women's Opportunity Through Education

Preparing Girls for Career Success

A timeline of milestones in the women's rights movement.

1848 

— 

At Seneca Falls, 300 women and men sign the Declaration of Sentiments, a plea for the end of discrimination against women.

1848 

— 

New York passes the Married Woman’s Property Act. For the first time, a woman isn’t automatically liable for her husband’s debts; she could enter contracts on her own; she could collect rents or receive an inheritance in her own right; she could file a lawsuit on her own behalf. She became for economic purposes, an individual.

1870 

— 

The 15th Amendment is ratified, saying, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” African-Americans may vote now, but women may not.

1872 

— 

Victoria Woodhull becomes the first woman to run for U.S. President. She receives few votes.

1890

 — 

Wyoming becomes the first state to grant women the right to vote in its state elections.

THE TIMELINE

Women are still at a higher risk for poverty:

THE ROAD AHEAD

“The best way for us to cultivate fearlessness in our daughters and other young women is by example. If they see their mothers and other women in their lives going forward despite fear, they'll know it's possible.” - Gloria Steinem

2013 

— 

The ban against women in military combat positions is lifted; this overturned a 1994 Pentagon decision restricting women from combat.

2013 

—

 Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. The new bill extends coverage to women of Native American tribal lands who are attacked by non-tribal residents, as well as lesbians and immigrants.

2016 

— 

Hillary Rodham Clinton makes history when she secures the presidential nomination for the Democrat Party, becoming the first U.S. woman to lead the ticket of a major party. She loses the election.

2017 

— 

Following the inauguration of President Donald Trump, between 3 and 5 million people participate in the Women's March. The public protest's goal was: "Protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families – recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country".

2017 

— 

The #MeToo movement, which seeks to hold men accountable for sexual harassment and sexual assault, gains a global stage.

2019 

— 

Women hold a record-breaking 24% of seats in Congress. There is also a record number of women of color in the House of Representatives.

1994

 — 

Congress adopts the Gender Equity in Education Act to train teachers in gender equity, promote math and science learning by girls, counsel pregnant teens, and prevent sexual harassment.

1994 

— 

The Violence Against Women Act funds services for victims of rape and domestic violence, allows women to seek civil rights remedies for gender-related crimes, provides training to increase police and court officials’ sensitivity, and creates a national 24-hour hotline for battered women.

1996 

— 

Supreme Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg writes the landmark decision in United States v. Virginia, which held that the state-supported Virginia Military Institute could not refuse to admit women.

1997 

— 

Madeleine Albright is sworn in as U.S. Secretary of State. She is the first woman in this position.

2005 

— 

Condoleezza Rice becomes the first black female Secretary of State.

2007 

— 

Nancy Pelosi becomes the first female Speaker of the House.

2009 

— 

Sonia Sotomayor is becomes the first Hispanic American and the third woman to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

1971 

— 

In Phillips v. Martin Marietta Corporation, the U.S. Supreme Court outlaws the practice of private employers refusing to hire women with pre-school aged children.

1972

 — 

Title IX of the Education Amendments prohibits sex discrimination in all aspects of education programs that receive federal support.

1972 

—

 In Eisenstadt v. Baird, the Supreme Court rules that the right to privacy encompasses an unmarried person’s right to use contraceptives.

1972 

— 

Katharine Graham becomes the first woman to become CEO of a Fortune 500 company (The Washington Post).

1973 

— 

With its Roe v. Wade decision, the U.S. Supreme Court declares that the Constitution protects women’s right to terminate an early pregnancy, thus making abortion legal in the U.S.

1974

 — 

Housing discrimination on the basis of sex and credit discrimination against women are outlawed by Congress.

1974

 — 

Cleveland Board of Education v. LaFleur determines it is illegal to force pregnant women to take maternity leave on the assumption they are incapable of working in their physical condition.

1974 

— 

The Women’s Educational Equity Act funds the development of nonsexist teaching materials and model programs that encourage full educational opportunities for girls and women.

1974

 —

 The Equal Credit Opportunity Act passes. It does away with the practice of banks requiring single, widowed or divorced women to bring a man along to cosign any credit application.

“We have to free half of the human race, the women, so that they can help to free the other half.” - Emmeline Pankhurst

1963 

— 

The Equal Pay Act is passed, promising equitable wages for the same work, regardless of the race, color, religion, national origin or sex of the worker.

1964

 — 

The Civil Rights Act passes, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex.

1965 

— 

In Griswold v Connecticut, the Supreme Court overturns one of the last state laws prohibiting the prescription or use of contraceptives by married couples.

1969 

— 

In Bowe v. Colgate-Palmolive Company, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals rules that women meeting the physical requirements can work jobs that had been for men only.

1969

 — 

Shirley Chisholm, of New York, becomes the first African-American woman in Congress. Her motto is, “Unbought and unbossed.” She serves in the U.S. House of Representatives for 14 years.

“I raise up my voice - not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard. We cannot succeed when half of us are held back.” 
- Malala Yousafzai

1975 

— 

In Taylor v. Louisiana, the court denies states the right to exclude women from juries.

1978 

— 

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act bans discrimination against women on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth or related medical issues.

1981 

—

Sandra Day O’Connor is appointed as the first female U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

1984 

— 

In Roberts v. U.S. Jaycees, sex discrimination in organizational membership policies is forbidden, opening many previously all-male organizations (Jaycees, Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions) to women.

1987 

— 

After being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress  designates March as Women’s History Month.

“It is time that we all see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals. We should stop defining each other by what we are not and start defining ourselves by who we are.”
- Emma Watson

I pledge to take action to end domestic violence. To...

• Learn about the facts, warning signs, and educate myself and my community.
• Speak up against discrimination and violence to break the stigma.
• Support survivors by reassuring them they are not alone, that help is out there.
• Listen to survivors without judgment, reassuring their trust and safety.
• Donate my time or funds to support programs helping victims overcome traumatic experiences.
• Empower survivors to seek financial independence through programs like Live Your Dream: Education & Training Awards for Women.

Find Your Inner "Shero" and Join the Movement

Take our quiz to find out which powerful, strong, and inspiring Shero you are!

SHE + HERO = a woman who is admired for her courage and resiliency; an active giver, an example of what is possible, and a brilliant inspiration to her community.

FIRST WAVE FEMINISM

SECOND WAVE FEMINISM

THIRD WAVE FEMINISM

FOURTH WAVE FEMINISM

• Women still earn, on average, 80 cents to the dollar compared to men. The gap is more extreme for women of color, women with disabilities, and mothers. 
  

• Women continue to bear most of the burden of unpaid household work and caregiving. They are also overrepresented in low-wage jobs.
  

• Around a third of single mothers live in poverty.
  

Women are still victimized by violence:

• 33% of women are likely to be abused at some point in their lives.
  

• 4.7 million American women experience physical violence by an intimate partner each year.
  

• Women in the U.S. military are more likely to be raped by fellow soldiers than killed in combat.
  

• Trans women are 3.7x more likely than cisgender people to experience physical violence when interacting with the police.
  

Women are still underrepresented in leadership:

• 24% of all members of Congress are women. A record number, but still an imbalance. 
  

• Less that 5% of all Fortune 500 companies are led by women CEOs.
  

• In 2014, women were just 20% of executives, senior officers, and management in U.S. high-tech industries.
  

1769 

— 

Women are legally property. The early American colonies base their laws on the English common law, which said, “By marriage, the husband and wife are one person in the law. The very being and legal existence of the woman is suspended during the marriage, or at least is incorporated into that of her husband under whose wing and protection she performs everything.”

1777

 — 

All states pass laws taking away women’s right to vote.

1833

— 

Oberlin College is founded as the first co-educational institution that accepts women and African Americans.

1900 

— 

By now, every state has passed legislation modeled after New York’s Married Women’s Property Act (1848), granting married women some control over their property and earnings.

1918

 — 

Margaret Sanger wins her suit in New York to allow doctors to advise their married patients about birth control for health purposes.

1920

— 

The 19th Amendment is ratified and grants women the right to vote. It declares: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”

1922

— 

Suffragette and activist Rebecca Felton is appointed the first woman U.S. Senator. At 87-years-old, she serves for only two days.

1923

 — 

The National Woman's Party proposes a Constitutional amendment: “Men and women shall have equal rights throughout the United States and in every place subject to its jurisdiction. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.” It does not pass.

1932

 — 

Hattie Wyatt Caraway, of Arkansas, becomes the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate.

1933

 — 

Labor Secretary Frances Perkins is the first woman to serve on a Presidential Cabinet under Franklin D. Roosevelt.

1934

 — 

Lettie Pate Whitehead becomes the first American woman to serve as a director of a major corporation, the Coca-Cola Company.

1936

 — 

Judicial approval of medicinal use of birth control is established.

1937

 — 

The Supreme Court upholds Washington state’s minimum wage laws for women.