Listicle Sample - 20 Things That Were Considered Feminist in the ’70s but Are Just Normal Now

From Title IX to Roe v. Wade, the ‘70s were a time of women’s liberation. An era that challenged cultural traditions in everything from employment, politics, education, and sexuality to gender roles, there are few decades as groundbreaking for females.

Still, the ‘70s weren’t all about protesting, bra-burning, or belting out, “I am woman, hear me roar.” There were tons of subtle ways to be a feminist.

In fact, these 20 acts helped define feminism, even though they’ve become the norm in modern times.

#1 Wearing Pants to Work

Women were once expected to wear dresses and skirts to work. Those who shunned these expectations and wore pants instead were viewed as rebels. Eschewing traditional styles, they didn’t slack on audaciousness or keep their fashion tastes closeted; pants-wearing women were unafraid to don clothes that allowed for greater freedom of movement, practicality, privacy, and personal expression. Pants became synonymous with autonomy, a foundation of feminism.  

#2 Keeping Your Last Name After Marriage

A woman who retained her maiden name after marriage was believed to be a beacon of independence, someone who rejected historical tradition and the concept that wives “belonged” to their husbands. Many women opted to go this route to preserve a legal identity separate from their spouse. It also saved them a trip to the DMV for a new driver’s license with their new last name, making it a win-win!

#3 Having a Credit Card in Your Own Name

In modern-day society, women are the ones who do most of the household spending and bolster the economy, which makes it hard to believe they weren’t even legally allowed to have a credit card in their own names until 1974. The passage of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) gave them this right and made it illegal for banks to deny a woman a credit card based on her sex or marital status. The ECOA was a significant win in the fight for equal financial footing, and women who took advantage of it were viewed as trailblazers.

#4 Working While Pregnant

It was once believed that women who became pregnant should hang up their dress clothes, toss their ID badges, and leave the workforce. This started to change in the 70s when women began defying expectations and asserting their rights to preserve their careers, their independence, and their reproductive choices; women who worked while pregnant also challenged the idea that pregnancy rendered them ineffective in an office or factory setting. In 1978, it became officially illegal for employers to discriminate against pregnant women with the passage of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.

#5 Running in a Marathon

Modern marathons might be filled with women from all walks of life, but it was once believed that females couldn’t physically handle the toll of running 26.2 miles, and they were barred from even trying. This turned marathons into a feminist cause and led to sports equality. Bobbi Gibb, a woman who crashed the men-only Boston Marathon in 1966 dressed in her brother’s clothes, became a symbol of this fight, as did Katherine Switzer the following year when she signed up under her initials and crossed the finish line. In 1972, women were granted permission to officially run the Boston Marathon for the first time.

#6 Wearing Sneakers Instead of Heels

Today, it’s commonplace to see women nestle into a pair of Nikes or rock some Reeboks. However, this wasn’t always the case, and in the 70s, women were primarily expected to wear heels, especially when going into the office. Those who traded their pumps for Pumas centered their comfort and self-expression, liberating themselves from societal stereotypes and plantar fasciitis. Women also wore sneakers during labor strikes, further cementing the tennis shoe as a symbol of equality.

#7 Having Short Hair

From curly hair to pixies to buzz cuts and braids, women’s hairstyles run the gamut. Despite this present-day variation, short hair was once considered a feminist statement because it challenged the norms set forth. Historically, grabbing a pair of scissors and clipping long locks was among the most common acts performed by women in protest of patriarchal rules. Short hair also gained popularity due to its practicality; when more women entered the labor force during World War II, short hair made working in factories, hospitals, and shipyards easier. 

#8 Playing Little League Baseball

Girls who played baseball became catalysts for gender equality while pushing back on the idea that America’s favorite pastime was limited to half the US population. In 1974, girls won the right to join Little League after the league caved to legal and moral pressure. Today, Little League baseball is available to girls (and, of course, boys); even so, softball is more popular among females, and many opt to go that route instead.

#9 Becoming a Lawyer, Doctor, or Engineer

Becoming a lawyer, doctor, or engineer signified a woman’s ability to enter male-dominated industries and break the glass ceiling with grit, hard work, and intelligence. While these industries continue to have more men than women, the gap has dramatically closed in the past 50 years. In 1970s America, 8% of lawyers were female, while 40% are today; 8% of doctors were female, while 37% are today; and 3% of engineers were female, while 15% are today. 

#10 Wearing a Suit

Don’t let traditional styles fool you: Suits suit women! A symbol of assertiveness and determination, professional independence, and clothing autonomy, wearing a suit became the epitome of feminist fashion. While the idea of the “power suit” didn’t truly take off until the ‘80s, the grounds were laid long before: Some Suffragettes had their own versions of suits that consisted of a jacket paired with a long-flowing skirt, and the first pantsuit dates back to the 1920s.

#11 Living Alone Without a Husband or Roommate

Living alone was once considered a societal defiance because it went against the idea that women needed a partner (or at least a roommate) to be safe, fulfilled, and financially secure; it was a clinic on independence, control, and self-reliance. Fast forward 50 years, and it’s now recommended that women live alone for at least a short period, as this gives them a chance to get to know themselves and what they genuinely want. Caution shouldn’t be tossed aside, though: Live alone…...but lock your doors! 

#12 Asking a Man on a Date

Asking a man on a date flipped the switch by ignoring the idea that it was a man’s responsibility to initiate romance. This gave women agency over their dating lives, allowed them to be assertive rather than passive, and empowered them to go after what (and who) they wanted. It took pressure off men, too, creating a win-win in the world of romance and making Cupid’s job easier.

#13 Wearing Makeup or Not Wearing Makeup—Either Way, It’s Your Call

Putting on makeup was once a staple of the typical woman’s morning routine. The ‘70s changed this and turned makeup into something optional and based on the individual woman’s desires, which ultimately challenged the notion that women must conform to the beauty standards of society. It might just be a bit of lipstick or a dab of blush, but the choice to wear or not wear makeup was at the heart of feminism, as feminism is all about women being able to like and dislike whatever they want. 

#14 Not Getting Married in Your Early 20s

In the ‘70s, the average age for women to get married was around 21 years old (compared to roughly 29 years old per present-day data). Refusing to get married at such a young age allowed women to prioritize their education, career, and personal growth over settling down and starting a family. This further propelled the feminist focus on personal desire. 

#15 Drinking Beer in a Bar

Drinking beer in a bar was viewed as feminist for a few reasons. On one level, women were expected to abstain from alcohol or drink daintier, more feminine options, libations that didn’t feel as brawny as the likes of Budweiser; women were also once prohibited from entering saloons or working in places that sold alcohol. Women drinking beer also recognized the female contribution to the beer industry. Women were the original brewers of beer and key to its production during ancient times. That’s right: Rosie the Riveter was preceded by Rosie the Fermenter.

#16 Choosing a Career Over Having Kids (or Doing Both!)

Choosing a career over starting a family was once deemed a feminist act because it pushed back against the narrative that a woman’s duty was motherhood. At first, this created an “either/or” concept: Women could get jobs or have children, but not do both. However, this evolved into the idea that women didn’t need to choose: They could have it all, and in the modern day, many do!

#17 Saying “Ms.” Instead of “Miss” or “Mrs.”

Addressing a woman by “Ms.” was once preferred by feminists because it was a title that ignored her marital status, something the Women’s Lib Movement saw as largely irrelevant. Essentially, “Ms.” allowed women to be identified as individuals rather than defined by relationships. It also offered privacy, as some women didn’t want others to know whether they were single, married, or somewhere in between. 

#18 Being a Stay-at-Home Mom by Choice

As mentioned previously, the feminist movement was mainly focused on giving women choices. Those who chose to be stay-at-home moms were considered feminists because they exercised their right to make personal decisions without society weighing in. Whether they raised children in the home or raised the bar in the boardroom, the goal was for women to be true to themselves.

#19 Driving a Pickup Truck or Riding a Motorcycle

Driving a pickup or riding a motorcycle was once considered an act of feminist rebellion because it challenged the idea that women shouldn’t engage in traditionally masculine activities (while squashing the myth that women can’t drive stick shifts). Many women opted to hop on Harleys and drive Dodge trucks to celebrate independence, individuality, and autonomy. Not-so-fun fact: The second you buy a pickup, everyone you know will come out of the woodwork and ask you to help them move.

#20 Having Your Own Opinions and Speaking Your Mind

A woman who spoke her mind was, perhaps, the quintessential feminist. Undeterred, unafraid, and unbothered by cultural norms, she knew that her voice, opinion, and perspective were just as important as any man’s. An outspoken woman was also better able to foster other tenets of feminism, such as individual decision-making, fighting the status quo, and breaking through the glass ceiling one shard at a time.