Occupational segregation is a primary driver of the pay gap, with feminized jobs earning less. Since the 1960s, pink collar workers – including secretaries in higher education – have fought for comparable worth to revalue “women’s work.”
Sixty years ago, on June 7, 1965, the Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling with weighty consequences for women’s reproductive rights: Griswold v. Connecticut. In Griswold, the Court struck down a Connecticut law that banned physicians and clinics from providing contraception, finding that married couples have a right to privacy under the law. While focused on contraception, the constitutional right to privacy cemented by Griswold had a profound sociolegal impact. The decision would be cited in the subsequent rulings that ended state abortion bans (Roe v. Wade, 1973), overturned homophobic sodomy laws (Lawrence v. Texas, 2003) and legalized gay marriage nationwide (Obergefell v. Hodges, 2015). The future of privacy rights, however, remains fraught.
In a new series, we’re exploring the “why” behind disparities in economics, health, safety, and leadership experienced by women and girls in our home state of Minnesota.
