I want to look at how far we have come as women. I will start with the changes I have experienced in sixty-four years. In 1960, this was a changing time for women. The Women’s Movement was gearing up. Its focus was reproductive rights, equality in the workplace, and an end to discrimination. It is amazing to me that those are some of the same things we are still fighting for.
I found 5 things women were not allowed to do in the sixties. I was blown away by #3.
- Single women could not get a credit card (from 1960 to 1974) then the Equal Credit Opportunity Act made it illegal to deny credit based on gender.
By the time this law was enacted, I was 14 years old.
- Women could not serve on juries (with the exception of Utah.) Utah in 1879, allowed women on juries. It was believed that women’s first responsibility was to family and home. There was also the belief that women were too fragile to hear the grisly details. It was not until 1973 that women could serve on a jury in all 50 states.
Utah, the Mormon state recognized the rights and worth of women on juries.
- Women could not go on birth control. This one has come full circle. In 1957, the pill was approved for menstrual distress. In 1960, a discussion began about the use of contraceptives. The pill was approved.
We as women are still in the fight to say what we do with our own bodies. SHOCKING! 🤯
- Get an Ivy League Education. Yale and Princeton did not admit women until 1969. Harvard admitted women in 1977.
- Experience equality in the workplace. This is an ongoing battle for women.
Source website: cnn.com
When the Women’s Movement gained momentum in the sixties, it was believed that it would level the playing field for women in the workplace and in the home. What the last few decades have shown is women are still fighting for a place at the table. It is 2025 and women are still struggling to be recognized in the workplace, social arenas, and even within our homes.
This is the first time being a woman doesn’t feel like a heavy burden. Women are standing up for themselves and other women in profound ways. Our voices can no longer be silenced and we will not back down.
We decide what we do with our bodies.
We build businesses.
We are married, single, and seniors.
We are taking the world by storm.
Helen Reddy, a singer in 1972 sang her iconic song “I Am Woman”. A line from the song is “ I am woman, hear me roar”. In 2025, let’s ROAR. Let’s teach our daughters and granddaughters, neighbor girls, & our school children that being a Woman is something to cherish.
We are life givers, we are the voice behind the politics.
Can you hear it? Listen closely for the sound.
Our ROAR is getting louder. 📢
