There are still countries in the world where women are forbidden to vote or drive. But despite this, over the past century, women won some incredibly essential battles in the race for equality with men. Wearing pants and voting rights were just the beginning!
Here are ten crazy things women couldn’t do 100 years ago.
1. The right to wear pants
It’s insane, but ladies in France officially got the right to wear pants on February 1, 2013. Before that, they’d need to ask the police first.
2. Right to vote
Up until 1917, there were only a handful of countries that allowed women to vote on equal terms with men. New Zealand was the first country to take the step in the right direction in 1893. On that year, Elizabeth Yates became the mayor of Auckland.
3. The right to use your last name after marriage
The first-ever woman to keep her maiden name was the American suffragist Lucy Stone, who got married in 1855 to a loser of a husband. She turned out to be much more successful and richer than her spouse, who lost all his money on investments.
4. The right to participate in the Olympic Games
According to the organizer of the 1896 Games, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, letting female athletes participate would be impractical, uninteresting, unaesthetic, and indecent. Four years later, at the Olympics in Paris, six women played tennis, and eight showed off their skills in golf.
5. Get a job
Until 1964, employers all over the US were free to reject any woman’s job application or promotion based solely on the fact that they’re not male.
6. Get a military career
Some women like painting, others like baking, but some ladies would love to pursue a military career. Until 1976 no woman was allowed to set foot in a military academy.
7. Use birth control
Until the 60s’ it was illegal for women to take birth control pills. Why? Your guess is as good as mine.
8. Get a credit card
Until the Equal Credit Opportunity Act took effect in 1974, if you didn’t have your husband with you at the bank, sorry, but no credit cards for you, you silly woman. Who do you think you are, a man?
9. Become astronauts
Thanks to Sally Ride, who in 1978 became the first female astronaut, every little girl nowadays can dream about traveling to the stars and have that dream become a reality later on!
10. Breastfeed in public
Why was this law even a thing in the first place? Did the congressmen think it was too inappropriate to feed the babies?
