Women have suffered a lot in the past, just take a look back and see the laws that limited the female sex to do various things. Compared to men, women had almost no rights, and for males, they served only to take care of the children and the house. However, democracy helped a lot so that women had the same rights as men.
The first feminist wave was concerned with the establishment of equal rights between men and women. Feminism was consolidated as a discourse of intellectual, philosophical and political character, and aimed to break the traditional patterns that oppressed women over time.
We separate here some facts in which women could not participate, or did not have the same rights as men, then, note there:
1 – Make a credit card
In the 1970s, women were prohibited from having a credit card, unless they had a man who signed their application. In 1974, in order not to discriminate against women, creditors led the Senate to approve the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which was a major step for women to begin not to depend on men.
2 – To participate in a jury
In the United States, exactly in 1879, the supreme court said that the participation of women in juris was prohibited. In 1927, 19 states thought it was not possible for a woman to participate in a jury because they were incapable of thinking and judging like men. It was not until 1957 that this law changed, giving women access to the courts, but it was still optional for States to choose to participate.
3 – Standards for bathing suit
One more nonsense of the past that went against women, in 1920 there was a law related to the size of the swimwear, which could not show much the legs. Some women insisted on breaking the law and ended up in prison. To police, the police patrol the beaches with a tape measure to measure the size of the swimwear. Men were also banned from being shirtless, until about 1937.
4 – Working during pregnancy
By the year 1964 employers were not required to keep female employees who were pregnant let alone pay the benefits of maternity leave. Women who were carrying a child in the womb had no benefit until the year 1978 when the maternity leave law was passed.
5 – Taking contraceptives
Contraceptive pills were a great taboo in the 20th century, there was a prohibition on doing anything that would stop them from having a child. But a Supreme Court law passed in 1965 that a woman who was already married could use this type of medicine, and a little later, in 1972, the law passed on distribution of contraceptives to singles.
6 – Playing soccer
Women were proven to play football. Now, what’s the problem with women doing the same sport as men? More proof of how women were discriminated against and suffered in the past. Women were banned from playing sports because doctors thought football was a very heavy sport for them, and inappropriate for the female body. This ban was extended until 1971.
7 – Watching Olympic Games
The Olympic Games of Greece, from 1896 gave way to a large number of female athletes. However, the ancient Greeks did not allow women to participate, and in case the women were already married, they could not even be spectators, and could be punished with the death penalty.
8 – Smoking in public places
Formerly smoking was a habit seen as beautiful and practiced by men claiming to be strong (image of the successful cowbow). In 1908, New York City banned women from smoking in public (bars, restaurants, hotels). There was even a case that a woman was arrested for raising a cigarette when she was crossing the street. Well, we do not know for sure what this law was based on, but it was extended until 1927.
9 – Vote
In Brazil, in 1889, under-21s, illiterates, women, soldiers, indigenous people and even members of the clergy were prohibited from voting. It was only in 1932 that the new electoral legislation was created, which fortunately included women in the right to vote. Since 1985, illiterate and over 16 years have gained the right to vote.
10 – Right to choose a partner
Very different from today, women formerly could not choose the person they would marry and spend the rest of their lives, marriages were arranged by the woman’s family, and often, they were already promised to someone from childhood.
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