Questions: Other

I ask because I know that the 1960s and early 1970s were pivotal times in the USA and Europe. I will even go as far as to say that Europe is even further away with gender roles than the USA in some ways, but when did this shift happen?

Each generation is clearly more and more equal than the previous... I ask because this is a very progressive time we have lived in over the years and so much has changed; even dating is so different from how it was in our parents generation. (Now everything is more 50/50; the woman pays her half on dates or they take turns every other time paying for each other; women ask men out now, etc., etc.)

Years ago, women were not allowed to work, not allowed to date or have sex before marriage (they were expected to be virgins on their wedding night; imagine marrying someone you are not even sexually compatible with; that must have been torture and felt like a trap), not allowed to vote, not allowed to wear denim jeans, not allowed to wear sneakers, not allowed to have short hair, and not allowed to do anything without her husband's permission first. Some women were not even allowed to have friends; it was so bad! Clearly, things have changed. In many homes, the mother is the only parent raising the kids and working, or she earns more than her husband. You very rarely see a housewife. There are a few reasons for this.

* Women were very unhappy about not being able to work, earn their own money, and have the freedom to use the money they earned.
* Many women felt they missed out on life and spent their adult lives in the house, only raising kids.
* It is simply too expensive for only one spouse to work now.

Imagine how bad things used to be for women. None of that happens today.

I know that in some countries, gender roles are still not as advanced, sadly.

But when did this really start to be noticeable?