6.

“When I first entered the job market in 1968, newspaper job advertisements were divided into ‘jobs for men’ and ‘jobs for women.’ Employment agencies and corporate human resources departments continued to categorize jobs by men and women. Even office jobs, for which there was no justification whatsoever, were divided in this way. This should have been illegal by now because of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but it took several years for the new law to be implemented and enforced and change actual practice.”

“Even in 1979, when I had just completed my bachelor’s degree in accounting, several employment agencies refused to recommend me for accounting jobs on the grounds that companies did not even interview women for these positions. Eventually, I got a job as a junior accountant.

On my second day of work, someone came to me and told me they were training me to cover for the receptionist during lunch. I told her that couldn’t be right because I was an accountant. Her response was that “all the women in the office have to take turns.” I took my objection to my boss and then to his boss and was told the same thing: do it or you’re fired. It was only when I threatened them with legal action that they relented. A great start to a new job.

Discrimination in credit was not made illegal until 1974, but I had already had a credit card in my name as a single woman before that, probably as early as 1970.”

—u/QV79Y