History of Women’s Rights: “Where Do We Find the Strength?” Strength finds us – We are Women”
Across decades and continents, the movement for women’s equality has been built on courage, persistence, and resilience. The milestones below mark some of the most significant advances in women’s rights from the mid-20th century onward—a reminder that progress is both recent and ongoing.
United States
1965: The Supreme Court case Griswold v. Connecticut makes birth control legal for married women.
1972: Title IX of the Education Amendments Act passes, opening doors for women in education and athletics. The Boston Marathon also officially allows women to participate.
1972: The Supreme Court’s Eisenstadt v. Baird decision extends birth control rights to single women.
1974: The Equal Credit Opportunity Act passes, allowing women to open credit cards and bank accounts without a male cosigner.
1978: The last states lift restrictions preventing women from serving on juries; by this year, it becomes legal nationwide.
1980s: Growing awareness of sexual harassment emerges as women publicly challenge workplace discrimination.
1986: The Supreme Court case Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson defines sexual harassment as a form of sex discrimination under Title VII.
1993: Marital rape becomes illegal in all 50 states.
United Kingdom
1975: Women gain the legal right to open bank accounts in their own names under the Sex Discrimination Act.
1991: The case R v. R declares that marital rape is a crime, overturning centuries of legal precedent.
Ireland
1976: Women gain the right to own homes or share ownership without a husband or father’s consent, following reforms in property and inheritance laws.
Austria
1975–1979: Educational reforms open all areas of study—such as geometry, engineering, and sciences—to girls and women. The movement emphasized gender equality in education rather than a single legislative moment in 1987.
Kuwait
2005: Women are granted the right to vote and run for political office, marking a historic step in political representation.
France
2006: Medical and educational reforms begin updating anatomy textbooks to better reflect accurate understandings of female anatomy and health.
Saudi Arabia
2018: Women gain the legal right to drive—Saudi Arabia becomes the last country in the world to remove its driving ban for women.
Reflection
Progress isn’t ancient history—it has unfolded within living memory. These changes, once revolutionary, are now often taken for granted, yet the fight for equality continues. Legal reform was only the first step toward real cultural transformation. Empowerment grows when women everywhere recognize that our strength has always been within us.
The Journey Forward
The story of women’s rights does not end with law books or courtrooms. Around the world, women are still pushing for equal pay, reproductive autonomy, and fair representation in leadership and technology. Girls are breaking barriers in science and sports, while activists work to end gender-based violence and ensure access to education for all.
The strength of women is not defined by hardship but by how we respond to it. Each step forward, each voice raised, and each boundary crossed adds to a legacy of determination and unity. The next chapter of progress depends on collective courage—the same kind that carried generations of women before us.
Our journey continues, not because we lack equality, but because we seek something even greater: a world where strength and opportunity are never limited by gender.
“THERE IS NO LIMIT WHAT WE, AS WOMEN, CAN ACCOMPLISH WHEN WE LIFT EACH OTHER UP”
Kathryn Hebert, Founder and CEO TPMConnect