Tens of thousands of older women do not qualify for benefits.
Women who came of age after 1935, were homemakers for the most part, whether by choice or for other reasons. They could participate in every aspect of their children’s lives including sports, scouts, Parent and Teachers Association activities (PTA), along with church and community activities for the entire family. Although created in 1935 The Social Security Administration became a cabinet position on August 17th, 1946, as a retirement program. Sadly, people who didn’t work were ineligible to receive benefits. Other factors came into play as well.
Following both world wars, and the Korean and Viet Nam conflicts, men returned home to reclaim what were considered male positions for the most part. The Civil Rights Act was supposed to open doors for women, but gender bias still often kept them stuck in jobs in the service industry working in sales, clerical, nursing, teaching, and similar jobs. Women veterans also faced the same bias. Societal mores were slow in expanding the role women could play in the workplace, including minorities.
