Women Money Power

Women Money Power: The Rise and Fall of Economic Equality Hardcover 
by Josie Cox

Published: March 2024
Length: 336 pages
Section: Non-Fiction

A history of womens struggles for economic rights and financial freedom.

Focusing on the period from World War II until the present, journalist and broadcaster Cox explores womens progress in the fight for economic equality. The author zeroes in on the personal and professional stories of those who were especially influential in this history, along with a look at what ultimately went wrong; why, fifty and sixty years ago, progress seemed abundant with promise and why now, in 2024, it appears to have stalled so dramatically. A clear strength of the book is Coxs attention to the contributions of lesser-known figures in the liberation movement as she chronicles in revealing detail the significance of unsung heroes such as Alice Paul, Pauli Murray, Shirley Chisholm, Lindy Boggs, and Muriel Siebert. The authors commentary on Murrays life is particularly astute; she not only highlights her extraordinary achievements as an activist on behalf of women and people of color, but also illuminates the often intersecting goals and strategies of the feminist and Civil Rights movements. Cox persuasively argues that contemporary understandings of intersectionality are deeply indebted to Murrays work. Also memorable is the discussion of the development and wide-ranging impact of the birth control pill. The emergence of the pill at the beginning of the 1960s was the culmination of long-standing efforts on the political, legal, and scientific fronts to secure reproductive freedoms, and its economic ramifications were enormous. A major obstacle standing in the way of equality today, the author ultimately demonstrates, can be found in the striking gap between womens and mens pay across a range of professions. That gap, research shows, has hardly budged for years. Cox offers an accessible and instructive overview of how money and power have intersected with gender in modern America.

A vigorous, often inspiring account of womens quests for economic equality.

From an experienced financial journalist, the story of how women have fought for financial freedom, and the social and political hurdles that have keep them from equality

For centuries, women were denied equal access to money and the freedom and power that came with it. They were restricted from owning property or transacting in real estate. Even well into the 20th century, women could not take out their own loans or own bank accounts without their husbands permission. They could be fired for getting married or pregnant, and if they still had a job, they could be kept from certain roles, restricted from working longer hours, and paid less than men for equal work.
 
It was a raw deal, and women werent happy with it. So they pushed back. In Women Money Power, financial journalist Josie Cox tells the story of womens fight for financial freedom. This is an inspirational account of brave pioneers who took on social mores and the law, including the Rosies who filled industrial jobs vacated by men and helped win WWII, the heiress whose fortune helped create the birth control pill, the brassy investor who broke into the boys club of the New York Stock Exchange, and the namesake of landmark equal pay legislation who refused to accept discrimination.
 
But as any woman can tell you, the battle for equalityfor money and poweris far from over. Cox delves deep into the challenges women face today and the culture and systems that hold them back. This is a fascinating narrative account of progress, womens lives, and the work still to be done.

Blurbs for Josie Coxs WOMEN MONEY POWER:

"A bold, fascinating, and hugely important book. Josie Cox gives us the story of the fight for economic equalitypast, present, and futurewith deep research and riveting prose. Unforgettable." --Jonathan Eig, author of King: A Life and The Birth of the Pill

"In this compelling, deftly researched book, Josie Cox reminds us how far weve progressed toward equality, and whats stalling the progress. Every person alive today needs to know and understand the struggles women have had in the workforce for generations." --Lisa Napoli, author of Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie

"Buckle up for a journey through the ups and downs, highs and lows, wins and losses of womens economic and social empowerment in the U.S. Going back decades, Cox artfully chronicles both the events and the actions of individualssome better known, some less sowhich have changed the course of history for women. Each chapter offers a superb framework from which to understand the plight of women in the U.S. today. A necessary and riveting read that is, despite its subject matter, also a pleasure." --Francesca Donner, former gender director at the New York Times

"Josie Cox delivers a deeply researched story of how generations of workplace promises failed, and why progress is not only infuriatingly slow but often sabotaged and squandered. It's a must-read for women looking up at glass ceilings or peering over glass cliffs and for any man who claims to support them." --Liz Hoffman, business and finance editor at Semafor and author of Crash Landing: The Inside Story of How the World's Biggest Companies Survived an Economy on the Brink

"Josie Coxs Women Money Power should be required reading. For all genders. It's really two books in one: both an analysis of how far weve come in our fight against gender inequality as well as a scathing critique of how far we still have to go. As Cox brilliantly maps out, point by point, we are failing women, again and again, and she has the receipts, rigor, and storytelling chops to prove it." --Deborah Copaken, New York Times bestselling author of Ladyparts: A Memoir

"Women Money Power is the fascinating story of the hidden figures who have fought for women's economic equality. Josie Coxs masterful storytelling style draws you into the gripping narratives of these female pioneers. There is much to be learned from their efforts while we continue to strive for full gender equality today. This book is a must-read." --Amy Diehl, PhD, author of Glass Walls: Shattering the Six Gender Bias Barriers Still Holding Women Back at Work