By the mid 20th century, there were few laws formally on the books that directly discriminated against women. The challenge that women faced was more at a social level. Businesses were not interested in hiring women for career positions. Lower class women worked as maids. Middle-class women worked as teachers or secretaries for a few years after school until they got married, had kids and their husbands managed to got started on their own careers. Then these women stayed home to raise the kids.
