You probably know a woman who wasn't allowed to get a credit card on her own at one point.

Answer: 1974

The Equal Credit Opportunity Act passed in 1974, which “prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, or age in credit transactions.” 

Questions:

• Which women in your life would have been adults before this law (ie. are 70+)?
• Were you surprised at how recently women could not get credit cards on their own? Why or why not?
• Hypothesize: which women would have had the MOST access to credit cards before this law? The LEAST?
• What impacts do you think this credit discrimination had (socially and financially)?

Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day you can use in your classroom.

Behind the numbers (Smithsonian):

"Before 1974, in fact, if you were a single woman, you almost always needed your father, brother, or other male relative to co-sign loans for you, even if you made more money than they did. If you were a married woman, you could not obtain credit cards in your own name—you could only get a card as Mrs. Your Husband’s Name. And then, no matter how carefully you paid the bills and managed the account, the credit history accrued only to him. As a result, if your husband died or you divorced, it was nearly impossible for you to obtain a loan."

About the Author

Kathryn Dawson

Kathryn (she/her) is excited to join the NGPF team after 9 years of experience in education as a mentor, tutor, and special education teacher. She is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in policy analysis and management and has a master's degree in education from Brooklyn College. Kathryn is looking forward to bringing her passion for accessibility and educational justice into curriculum design at NGPF. During her free time, Kathryn loves embarking on cooking projects, walking around her Seattle neighborhood with her dog, or lounging in a hammock with a book.

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