- 1912: Massachusetts was the first state to adopt a minimum wage law for women and minors
- 1918: The War Labor Administration sets up a "Woman in Industry Service" (WIS) to address problems connected with more rapid introduction of women into industry. WIS formulates standards for employment of women in war industries, including a 48 hour work week, equal pay, lunch breaks, and sanitation and safety standards.
- 1920: The Women's Bureau of the Dept. of Labor was formed by an Act of Congress
- 1963: Congress passed a law mandating equal pay for both genders.
- 1964: The Civil Rights Act was a huge win for women, prohibiting employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, nationality and gender.
- 1978: The pregnancy discrimination act banned discrimination against pregnant women in the workplace.
The Women's Bureau's focus expands to include training programs for women in prisons. - 1979: The Women's Bureau begins funding programs for career counseling and occupational training of displaced homemakers, women without recent paid work experience or skills.
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Between 1984 and 2009, the number of working women in America increased from 44 million to 72 million.
- 2009: President Obama establishes the White House Council on Women and Girls to ensure that American women and girls are treated fairly in all matters of public policy like equal pay, family leave, child care and others. He emphasizes that these are not just women’s issues, they are family issues and economic issues.