Gender Biased Laws: Exclusion of Women and Preferential Treatment of Men since 1940. This means your direct lineage has had to endure female oppression in their lifetime.
It is essential to acknowledge the existence of laws that historically excluded women while conferring preferential treatment to men. This list explores some of the legislations, regulations, and practices that perpetuated gender bias against women, focusing on laws enacted since 1940. By shedding light on these discriminatory practices, we aim to raise awareness of past injustices, promote equality, and emphasize the importance of ongoing efforts to ensure equal rights for all.
Employment Discrimination: Many laws and workplace practices between 1940 and present day have favored men over women. Examples include laws permitting preferential hiring of men for certain positions, regulations forbidding women from specific job roles, and a gender pay gap that persists despite legal advances. These discriminatory measures limited women’s access to equal employment opportunities and career advancement. In my lifetime I’ve lost countless shortage of positions due to the fact I did not have a penis and couldn’t use the men’s athletic facilities.
Inheritance and Property Laws: Numerous jurisdictions enforced laws that favored male inheritance rights over female heirs. These laws often granted men the right to inherit and own property, while women faced restrictions or were denied these rights altogether. Such practices perpetuated gender inequity in the transmission of wealth and property. Not until the 1980’s was a woman allowed to buy a mortgage for a home without a man’s signature and it was frowned upon until the 2000’s.
Political leadership: I often hear men argue that leadership should be awarded to the best “person” for the job. But why must it always be a man? Allow me to challenge that notion. If we find ourselves in a situation where both candidates are men and neither is suitable for the role, why can’t we consider a woman? Why has a woman never held the highest office in our country? And why did it take hundreds of years for a woman to finally become vice president?
The truth is, women in leadership face relentless criticism. They are scrutinized for their appearance, their speech patterns, their word choices, and even the style of their hair. Meanwhile, their performance and ideals are often sidelined and ignored. On the other hand, men are only praised for their performance, and no one seems to care about their looks. This bias is deeply unfair. It perpetuates a system that overlooks and undervalues the incredible talent, intelligence, and capabilities that women bring to the table.
Marriage Laws: In some regions, marriage laws introduced during this period reinforced male dominance within the institution of marriage. Provisions such as the concept of marital power, which granted the husband authority over his wife’s legal and financial decisions, perpetuated gender imbalances and limited women’s autonomy within marriage. Men were allowed to say wives were crazy. Women were restricted to specific attire. In today’s culture women are shamed for being too thin, too fat, too tall, to masculine, too independent, to lazy, etc.
Voting Rights: While significant progress was made to secure women’s suffrage in the early 20th century, certain jurisdictions implemented laws or practices that impeded women’s access to voting rights. These included impediments such as literacy tests, poll taxes, and stringent registration requirements, creating barriers that particularly targeted women of marginalized communities. Since the 1960’s we’ve been trying to pass the Equal Rights Amendment but to date it’s still on the floor for vote. This might eliminate men taking our trophies ladies!
Family Law: Throughout the period, family laws often exhibited gender bias, favoring men in various aspects. For instance, laws granting child custody primarily to fathers, regardless of the best interests of the child, undermined women’s rights as equal parents. Prioritizing men in divorce proceedings further exacerbated inequities by granting them greater financial support and control over assets.
Military Service: Some countries enforced laws that required compulsory military service solely for men, while exempting women from such obligations. As a result, women were denied the opportunity to serve their country and gain the associated benefits and opportunities available to men in terms of career advancement and other military-related privileges.
Social Security and Pensions: Certain systems of social security and pensions have historically discriminated against women, creating disparities in retirement benefits. These discriminatory practices were often rooted in gender-based assumptions, such as considering women primarily dependent on their husbands’ financial support or undervaluing the importance of their contributions to the workforce. Today women can choose to stay home, but be careful because should you actually age, choosing to have children and not earn outside income could leave you penniless in retirement.
This list represents only a fraction of the many gender-biased laws and practices that have disadvantaged women in the last eight decades. Recognizing and rectifying past injustices is essential to building a more equitable society. By acknowledging the discriminatory laws of the past, we can strive for a future where gender-based disparities are eradicated, and equal rights and opportunities are enjoyed by all individuals, regardless of their gender.
Reba Nietert 