While the ERA has yet to be adopted by the requisite number of states necessary to become part of the U.S. Constitution, many other acts were passed during the civil rights era to increase gender equality. Some of the most important legislative wins of that era include the following:
Equal Credit Opportunity Act: Passed in 1974, the ECOA ended the practice of denying women credit or loans without a male co-signer. The act also prohibits lender discrimination based on race, age, or income sources.
Equal Pay Act: As more women entered the workforce after World War II, employers deliberately offered them lower wages when they worked in the same positions as men. In 1963, President Kennedy updated the Fair Labor Standards Act to end this practice.
Pregnancy Discrimination Act: After this law was passed in 1978, employers have been barred from discriminating against pregnant women or women of child-bearing age in any aspect of employment. The act also allows women to use disability leave to take time off due to a pregnancy-related condition.
