The rules that governed our society used to be different, and women had a lot of rules imposed on them. From not being able to wear pants, not being able to vote, and other restrictions, there were a lot of rules placed over women so that they would live in a way that was socially acceptable for the time period. Thankfully, these are ten things we don’t have to follow anymore.
Wearing Pants
Women weren’t allowed to wear pants until around the 1920s. Any woman who chose to wear pants before then would face being ostracized by others. Not to mention that in the 1800s to right before the 1920s, there were laws expressly forbidding women from dressing like men. Now, we can wear whatever we want.
Joining The Military
To anyone who has joined the military, thank you for everything you’ve done. There was a time when women weren’t allowed to join the military unless it was in capacities like nursing. They couldn’t be an active member, and most of the jobs that they could do weren’t paid. However, this changed in WW2. They were now allowed to gain ranks and earn benefits.
Shop Alone
Today, women can shop and do everything alone if they want to. In the late 1800s, a woman was not allowed to be alone and needed a chaperone. This began to change when department stores began to gain popularity. They were designed with women in mind, and they created a safe place for women. Other businesses soon began to follow, and for the first time, women were allowed to walk alone. However, this was only for upper-income families. It wasn’t until 1920 that people of all incomes could shop alone.
Maiden Name
If you want to keep your maiden name today, that is no big deal. But in older times, you weren’t allowed to keep your maiden name unless you wanted serious consequences. Not only did people look down on you, but your employer could refuse to pay you, and you could be barred from voting.
Working Hours
Women have been discriminated against for years. Sexual harassment and unfair treatment have run rampant, and more than a century ago, there were limited protections in place, which meant that women didn’t get fair treatment. Oregon had a law that restricted women from working more than ten hours a day, but it was challenged in court. While they won, the ruling wasn’t based on equality.
Olympics
Simone Biles is considered to be one of the best athletes. We’ve had women rule sports for quite a while, but there was a time when women couldn’t compete in the Olympics. When they finally were, the women only accounted for around 2% of the athletes performing. Only five sports were open to women at that time, but now, we can truly compete.
Passports
Until the 1920s, if you were a single woman, you had your own passport. If you were married, you had a joint passport with your husband. This reflected the fact that back then society frowned on a woman traveling alone. When liberation began to happen, women began to petition to have their own passports. The first case of this happening was in 1917, but the rules were officially changed for good in the late 1930s.
Property Ownership
If you were married before 1848, you weren’t allowed to own property. No matter how you came to get it or own it, it wasn’t yours. If you were married, it legally belonged to your husband. However, in 1848, in New York, a law was passed declaring that it didn’t matter if a woman was married or single. Married women deserved control and ownership as well. Other states followed, but progress was slow.
Jury Duty
In 1879, the Supreme Court ruled that states had the right to only let the jury pool contain males. Almost ten years later, Utah stated that women were qualified too. This is another area where progress was slow. In the late 1920s, only 19 states allowed women to serve as jurors.
Smoking
While we have restrictions on where we can smoke now, smoking was allowed almost everywhere in older times. At least, if you were a guy. While it was alright for women to smoke in their homes, society frowned on smoking in the same areas as men. In 1908, there were laws about women smoking in public establishments. Because it was so unpopular, it was vetoed in less than two weeks.
Good Changes
While the past was restrictive and women didn’t get much say, now things are different. We can vote, serve on juries, and we can wear the things we like. We also have the freedom to compete and travel to our heart’s content, seeing the sights of the world and exploring the freedom to make our dreams come true. Times are great!
