To celebrate International Women’s Day we wanted to take a look back through some of the most monumental moments for women in UK Law. Let us know which ruling you find the most surprising!
- The Married Women’s Property Act was created back in 1870 and allowed married women to finally own their own property – previously any property they owned would’ve been transferred to their husband
- In 1888 the Women’s Trade Union League secured the first ever successful equal pay resolution and Trades Union Congress
- In 1902 the first petition demanding the Vote for Women was submitted to Parliament – it was 37,000 signatures
- The Qualification of Women Act brought in in 1907 allowed women to be elected onto borough and county councils – as well as being elected mayor
- Finally, in 1918 women over the age of 30 were granted the right to vote
- It wasn’t until 1920 that women were allowed to work in legal or accountancy professions, when the Sex Discrimination Removal Act was created
- The Law of Property Act was introduced in 1922 allowing both husband and wife to inherit property equally
- In 1928 all women in Britain gained equal voting rights with men
- The NHS was introduced and gave free health care to everyone – including women
- In 1968 women at the Ford car factory went on strike over equal pay – their protest directly led to the passing of the Equal Pay Act in 1970
- The first International Women’s Day is formed as an annual event by the UN General Assembly
- Britain elects it’s first ever female Prime Minister – Margaret Thatcher – in 1979
- Followed a few years later by the first female Lord Mayor of London, Lady Mary Donaldson
- The European Union passed the Human Rights Act in 1998, guaranteeing basic principles of life for everyone