A potted history of women and money

It's Women’s History Month in March. To mark the occasion, we’re looking at the history of women and money.

Whatever your opinion on whether the female of the species has yet achieved financial parity with men, you can’t deny we’ve come a long way.

As recently as the 1970s, it wasn’t uncommon for financial institutions to insist that married women get authorisation from their husbands before being allowed to open a bank account.

Check out our timeline to discover some of the top money milestones for women.

1919: The law was changed so women had the right to become professional accountants, lawyers and vets. 

1870: Any money a woman earned was now treated as her own rather than her husband’s. Before then, women who owned property of any kind had to give up all rights to it to their husbands when they got married.

1882: Women gained complete personal control over all their property

1968: 850 women from the Ford factory in Dagenham went on strike to protest getting paid 15% less than their male colleagues for the same type of work. The strike ended after three weeks when the women were awarded an 8% pay rise.   

1970: The Equal Pay Act was passed making it illegal for women to be paid less than men for the same type and amount of work. 

1973: Six women became the first females to be allowed to join the London Stock Exchange.  

1975: The Sex Discrimination Act was passed, and banks were legally required to treat men and women equally. Before 1975, it was common for women to need a male co-signer to get a mortgage. 

1982: A landmark ruling meant women were legally allowed to spend their money in English pubs without being refused service. Previously, they could be required to sit at a table and have their drinks ordered by a male companion.

1986: The law was changed so women are allowed to retire at the same age as men.

1987: Statutory maternity pay was introduced. Eligible women are now entitled to receive six weeks of maternity pay at 90% of their usual earnings. 

1990: Independent taxation was brought in meaning married women started being taxed independently from their husbands. Their income is now officially recognised as their own, rather than an extension of their husbands. 

1993: Statutory maternity pay becomes a right for all working women.

2017: Jane Austen starts appearing on the £10 note, only the third woman to be featured on a UK banknote, after Florence Nightingale and Elizabeth Fry. 

2022: The growth of new female-led businesses starts outstripping that of male-led firms for the first time ever.