Women describe their 70 years of liberation

[The Straight Story]

Women describe their 70 years of liberation
Speakers urge younger women to take up leadership work


When Val Ogden was about to graduate from high school, around 1941, she told her father she wanted to go to college.

“He said, ‘You know, your brother is our priority, because he will be the breadwinner. He will be the one who will have to go out and support the family,’” Ogden said.

She spoke to a crowd of more than 100 people Friday night in a celebration of International Women’s Day at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Vancouver.

Her family was supportive, Odgen said, but there was a strong male-centered mindset in those times.

Ogden, a retired Washington state representative, described some challenges and progress toward women’s equality over the past 50 years.

Her travels after college took her to Florida, where she got a job and joined an interracial group that was controversial at the time.

....

But she learned that “In Florida in 1944, only men could own property.”

Later, she was married with three children in Pullman and started working with a women’s group.

The newspaper headline said, “Housewife doing job for the YWCA,” she recalled.

The news story referred to her as Mrs. Daniel Odgen Jr., she said. “Not once in the article did they ever mention my given name.”

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/mar/14/women-describe-their-70-years-of-liberation-speake/

[Burma Jones]

1. Socialist, Progressive Jeebus Hater

Our adversaries want to go back to pre-(Teddy) Roosevelt days.

So, ladies, better enjoy this freedom while you can.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

2. Texas and California use Spanish marital property law.

This is why the community property states are Western. Community property means that in general, half of all the assets acquired during a marriage go to each spouse. Women are expected to support the family equally with men. Women get limited temporary alimony, called separate maintenance.

When I took Marital Property in a Texas law school, I found out we have GOOD case law all the way back to 1836, wherein married women can own property in their own names and buy and sell property any way they are. Women do not lose their identity under the Spanish laws.

In English law, Professor Blackstone said that after marriage the two people become one, with one identity, and that identity is the man's. French Law is not good for the woman either.


VIVA ESPANA!!! Very progressive ideas about women.

[EFerrari]

3. I didn't know that. Very cool.

A few weeks ago, I found out that Abigail Adams ignored the inheritance laws on the books and wrote a will, leaving all her property to other women in her family. :)

[Manifestor_of_Light]

5. My dad was an attorney. He did a lot of domestic relations work.

Mom typed for him. Mom told me we had community property in Texas, and no-fault divorce. I knew that in New England, men can get stuck for huge amounts of money for alimony for the woman, as she is not considered to be equal in earning ability.

It was not until I took Marital Property in law school (which is upper level - the prerequisite course is Family Law) that I realized it was from the Spanish law in Mexico. I think it's pretty cool that we have good law from the first year of the Republic of Texas.

Mom's version of educating me about my rights as a woman was, "We got community property in Texas. That means half of everything is yours. And we have no-fault divorce. That means you can get a divorce if ya don't like the way he parts his hair!". And she told me Louisiana law sucked if you were female because it came from the Code Napoleon in France.

:rofl: :rofl: Mom was a good ol' gal from East Texas who had a way with words, may she rest in peace.

Abigail Adams said to John, "Remember the Ladies" and he didn't. Just like a lot of hell happened further down the road because they ignored slavery.

[EFerrari]

7. Your mom sounds like she was a terrific advocate.

lol

:hi:

[1776Forever]

4. Hooray for the women who fought for our freedoms! I know in 1970, not that far back, my husband had

to OK my tubes being tied by saying "yes" 5 times to the surgeon, once for each of our 5 children all born within 7 years, that it was OK for me to have my tubes tide in Ohio! Yes, it has not been that long ago that men still had control over our future lives!

[EFerrari]

8. OMFG. I was only about five years behind you.

My surgeon didn't know who to ask what, he was so confused

lol

Here's hoping my nieces have a surgeon who is more progressive in her views. :)

[etherealtruth]

6. We need to honor those women that came and fought before us ....

...by continuing the fight locally and globally.