The history, "Women's employment"

THE HISTORY OF LEGISLATION ON GENDER EQUALITY

Denmark

1857 Unmarried women have the same right as men to a trade licence, they inherit on equal terms with male relatives and they are of age when they are 25 years old

1880 Married women have self-acquired money at their disposal

1899 Married women are of age in regard to the law of proberty

1903 Women have a right to vote in the parochial church council elections

1908 Franchise and eligibility in municipal elections

1913 4 weeks obligatory maternity leave for women working in industries

1915 Franchise and eligibility for the Parliament

1920 Equal pay for public employees (except cost-of-living bonus)

1921 Equal access to public offices except ecclesiastical and military posts

1937 Legal abortion on medical, eugenic and ethnic reasons

1937 Children born out of wedlock have the same rights as children born in wedlock

1947 Equal old-age pension to men and women

1947 Women can be ordained

1956 Abortion on social indication

1956 Parents are equal as guadians of the children

1958 Equal cost-of-living for public servants

1971 Access to military posts

1973 Free abortion

1976 Equal pay for men and women ( with amendments 1986, 1989, 1992)

1978 Equality of treatment for men and women in the labour market

1985 Divorced parents are entitled to agree on joint authority of the children

1988 Law on equal rights for men and women

1992 Law on equal pay for men and women

1996 Law against gender discrimination in the labour market.

1998 Law on equal treatment of men and women regarding employment and maternity leave.

1998 Law on equal treatment of men and women regarding social security connected to the labour market.

2000 Equal rights for men and women

Finland

1864 - Unmarried 25-year-old women became legally competent

1878 - Equal inheritance right for women and men

1901 - Women are granted equal rights to study at universities.

1906 -Finnish women (the first in Europe) are granted the privilege of voting in state elections and are the first women in the world to become eligible for public office

1917 - Universal franchise in municipal elections

1919 - Wives are permitted to be gainfully employed without their husband's consent

1926 - Act on Women's Eligibility for civil service

1930 - Marriage Act which released wives from their husbands' guardianship and allowed them to own personal property.

1937 - Maternity Allowance Act

1944 - Act on Municipal maternity and child Welfare Clinics and Municipal Health Nurses

1978 - Parents are entitled to share parental leave

1980 - First Finnish government programme for promoting equality between the sexes (1980-85).

1986 - Finland ratifies UN Treaty on Women's Rights

1987 - Equality Act.

1990 - Children under the age of three are guaranteed a right to municipal day care

1995 - Partial amendment of Equality Act

Act on Women's Voluntary Military Service

1999 - Act to prohibit unwanted approaching

Iceland

1275 - Law that prohibits giving women away in marriage against their will.

1734 - Law on secret childbearing – a woman who aborts voluntarily or kills her new-born infant shall be beheaded and her head put on a stake

1850 - Law on equal inheritance rights for sons and daughters.

1882 - Law on women’s right to vote in municipal elections (limited).

1911 - Law on women’s right to professional study, educational support and professions.

1915 - Law on women’s right to vote in state elections – a special women’s celebrations day since then (June 19).

1958 - Law on equal pay for men and women for equal work .

1975 - Law on abortion – restrictions removed and increased consultation.

1976 - Law on equal rights for men and women.

1987 - Law on parental leave (four months, 1989 – five months, 1990 – six months).

1980 - A new law on maternity leave – three months for the mother or two for the mother and one for the father.

1991 - New law on equal rights and status.

1999 - A new and updated Equal Status Act.

2000 - Proposition on parental leave - up to six months for mothers (no change), paternity leave the same (total if nine months for both parents combined).

Lithuania

1529 - Women’s right to inherit and to attend meetings were confirmed on the First Lithuanian Statute, which included a chapter protecting women against violence.

1905 - The Great Parliament of Vilnius included women participants and acknowledged the principle of equality between women and men, which should be put into practice in an Independent Lithuania.

1917 - Act of the Lithuanian Parliament that women and men have equal rights in electing members of Parliament.

1922 - Lithuanian State Constitution confirmed women’s right to vote and gender equality.

1922 - An amendment to the Civil Code which reinstated women’s rights to property and inheritance (equal to men’s).

1940 - Laws on Marriage and Registrations including divorce and civil ceremony.

1995 - Lithuanian Parliament ratified the UN Convention of Elimination of all kinds of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

1998 - Law on equal opportunities for women and men.

1999 - The Controller’s office guaranteed equal rights for men and women.

The Netherlands

1917 – Women receive passive voting rights.

1919 – Women receive active voting rights (local, regional and national levels).

1975 - Law on equal pay for men and women.

1976 - Law on dismissal of ban regarding marriage, pregnancy and delivery.

1979 – Women are allowed to keep their family names even after marriage.

1980 – Law on equal treatment regarding equal access to the job market, vocational training and labour conditions.

1980 – First Law on equality between men and women in social security systems.

1981 – The Abortion Act.

1990 – Law on parental leave.

1992 – Law with regard to part-time work (employees with small jobs have the right to minimum wages).

1998 – A child is entitled to have the mother’s or father’s family name.

Spain

During XIX and XX centuries Spanish women fought more on the social and education and work ground than on the political equality ground.

1912- Chair Law. Every factory and establishment is obliged to give a place of rest to any woman worker. The law of gradual suspension of night work for women is declared.

1918- Civil service statute accepts women in the civil service. The national Association of Spanish Women is created.

1931- The Spanish Constitution of the Republic recognises formally the equality between men and women. There is a law that establishes the same salary for the same work.

1933- Women can make effective their right to vote.

1961- The incorporation of feminine labour and same salary between sexes for the same work are recognised.

1970- A law that establishes co-education and an equal school system for both sexes is passed.

1975- Dictator F. Franco dies. The Spanish woman starts to be able to make decisions without the express husband’s permission.

1977- The new Spanish Constitution recognises the civil and political rights of women.

1978- The disclosure and propaganda of contraceptive methods are legalised. The Spanish constitution eliminates the formal inequalities between sexes and gives to women all the political rights. The penal code suppresses the articles referent to feminine adultery.

1979- The workers’ statute establishes the principle of equality of treatment between men and women in all the labour questions.

1981- Matrimony and divorce Act. Men and women are juridically equal in the matrimony.

1983- The Spanish government creates the Institute of Women.

1985- Abortion Act.

1987- The plan for equality of opportunities for women is approved.

1988- Incorporation of women into the professional and security bodies of the state.
IRIS NET is created to promote the vocational training of women and develop the existent policy in this ambit.

1990- The law for the Educative Reform (LOGSE) goes into non-sexist contents and teaching for the learners.

1992- The subject JOINT DEMOCRACY comes out to equilibrate by gender the politic representation.

Sweden

1845 - Equal inheritance rights for women and men

1846 - Widows, divorcees and unmarried women are entitled to work in manual trades and some commerce.

1858 - Unmarried women over 25 years old may attain majority by decision of court. Marriage implies return to minority status.

1859 - Women are entitled to some teaching positions.

1863 - Unmarried women attain majority at the age of 25.

1864 - Husbands lose legal right to strike their wives.

1870 - Women gain right to take high school diplomas at private schools.

1873 - Women gain right to take a degree with some exceptions (doctorate in law and theology).

1874 - Married women gain the right to control their own incomes.

1884 - Unmarried women attain majority at age of 21.

1901 - Women gain the right to four weeks of unpaid maternity leave.

1919 - All women gain suffrage for municipal elections and the right to hold office at municipal and county levels.

1921 - Women gain national suffrage and the right to hold office at the national level. Married women attain majority at the age of 21. The new marriage code makes wives and husbands legally equal

1925 - With some exceptions, women gain the same rights as men to civil service jobs.

1927 - Public upper secondary schools are open to girls.

1935 - Equal basic pensions adopted for women and men.

1938 - Legalisation of contraception. Child’s support assistance established. Financial assistance to mothers established. Universal maternity allowance established.

1939 - Gainfully employed women may not be dismissed due to pregnancy, childbirth, or marriage.

1947 - Equal pay for equal work for state employees.

1950 - Both parents are declared a child’s legal guardians.

1951 - Women are entitled to retain their Swedish citizenship upon marriage to foreign citizens.

1955 – Working women are entitled to three months paid maternity leave after the birth of child.

1958 - Women are entitled to be ordained into the clergy.

1960 - Employers and unions agree to abolish separate wage rates for women over a five year period.

1964 - Birth control pill approved in Sweden.

1969 - Compulsory schools adopt new curriculum encouraging promotion of equal opportunity.

1970 - Secondary schools adopt new curriculum encouraging promotion of equal opportunity.

1971 - Separate income tax assessment for wife and husband.

1974 - Parents are entitled to share parental allowances upon childbirth.

1975 - New abortion law. A woman has the right to decide until the 18th week.

1976 - Decree for equal opportunity in civil service. Sterilisation Act (person aged 25 decides her/himself).

1977 - Settlement between employers and unions on equal opportunity.

1980 - Law against sex discrimination at work. Equal opportunity agreement with municipal and county governments. Compulsory schools adopt new curriculum now requiring promotion of equal opportunity. A new law on succession of the throne: Monarch’s first-born daughter or son succeeds the throne.

1982 - All assault and battery against women even if committed on private property are subjected to public prosecution. Ban on pornographic “live shows” in places open to public. Public funds to women’s organisations. New name-change law. At time of marriage, couples decide which name or names they will use.

1983 - All occupations are open to women, including armed forces.

1984 - The State Sector Equal Opportunities Ordinance.

1987 - New law concerning joint property of cohabiting couples (unmarried). The Cohabitation Act.

1992 - New Equal l Opportunities Act.

1994 - Revised Equal Opportunities Act. A new national policy for equal opportunity. At least one month of parental leave must be used by mother and one by father (“mummy/daddy month”).

1998 - Act on Violence against Women. Changes to the Penal Code. Act on Prohibition against Female Genital Mutilation. The Equal Opportunities Act is tightened concerning sexual harassment.

1999 - Law prohibiting the purchase of sexual services.

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