Pennsylvania

In 1923, Pennsylvania legislature passed four Equal Rights measures, including one providing equality on the grounds of divorce, one providing married women the right to determine her domicile for voting and holding office, one providing married women the chance to establish their own residence in order to obtain relief, and one that made prostitution an offence for both women and men. Legislatures refused to pass a measure that gave women the right to equal guardianship of their children. They also failed to remove gender preferences concerning the appointment of administrators of estates, the extension of the right of a married woman to make contracts and to mortgage her property, the right to her own services, and the right to recover for their loss.   

By October 1925, several bills to equalize the rights of husband and wife to a mortgage, to convey property, and to give the wife greater contractual power failed. A measure giving a married woman power to stand bail for another was defeated. The legislature also refused to abolish the common law rule that stated the husband was the owner of his wife, her earnings, and her services. Regarding their children, Pennsylvania adopted the principle of equality between the mother and father in the right of guardianship of the children by giving the mother equal right to their custody and services, as well as a joint right of action for injuries to them. However, the father still had the dominant right to the direction of their child’s education, religion, and general welfare.