In 1974 President Gerald Ford signed legislation that gave women the right to get their own credit card. The Ascent tells us more….
But it wasn’t until 1974 that women were allowed to open a credit card under their own name. Before 1974, if women wanted to open a credit card, they would be asked a bunch of intrusive questions, like if they were married or whether they planned to have children. If a woman was married, she could (hopefully) get a credit card with her husband. But single, divorced, or widowed women weren’t allowed to get a credit card of their own — they had to have a man cosign for the credit application.
Under the laws of that era, women weren’t treated entirely like actual people with economic rights and earning power of their own. Then in 1974, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act made it illegal for companies to deny people credit based on their gender, race, religion, or national origin.
I discussed this with a few folks last night in the plant and to say ” mind blowing” was the general response would be accurate. This was only fifty years ago! This win for women was a political victory made possible by activism and involvement. Your vote is a powerful way to make change, use it wisely.
(graphic by cryptoskylark)
