Trailblazing on handmade paths: The major feminist Accomplishments of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Ivory Williams
- Sep 24
- 3 min read
Sexism is a root of society that persists and reminds everyone, especially women, of its existence. While we’ve made great strides against it now in the 21st century, in the mid-20th Century, this was a different story. Employment barriers stopped women from getting certain jobs, they had limited access to credit, pregnancy discrimination in the workplace was common, and unfair laws for wives were all the norm- and encouraged. While many women, for the time, made advancements against these systems, only one name is directly tied to the movement: Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Who is she and what's her backstory?
Joan Ruth Bader was born on March 15th, 1933, in Brooklyn, New York, to her mother Celia. She was born to immigrant parents who came from Austria and Russia, with her father, Nathan, immigrating to the US from Russia at the age of 13. Her parents, but specifically her mother, heavily encouraged Ruth’s scholarly and professional ambition, taking her to the library every week to keep her supplied with books.
She attended James Madison High School, where she excelled. Her success continued as she went on to attend Cornell University. At Cornell University, she earned a bachelor's degree with high honors in government and distinction in all subjects. However, she faced many challenges in her journey through higher education. As one of 9 women in a class of more than 500, she encountered discrimination from older faculty. Despite that, she went above and beyond in male-dominated spaces anyway- even attending her husband’s classes when he got testicular cancer. During the time she would write his, as well as her own papers. This led her to win a coveted seat on the Harvard Law Review.
Later on, after experiencing familial issues she transferred to Columbia University and would win a seat on their law review as well. She would graduate tied for 1st place in her class from Columbia.
Despite many achievements, her gender continued to be a barrier to her career advancement. Many firms didn't offer her jobs or wouldn't offer her permanent positions despite her stellar performance and achievements. A Supreme Court judge even rejected her because he was apparently too uncomfortable with the thought of a woman in his chambers. However, nothing stopped her from pushing towards success in law.
What were her most significant accomplishments?
Ruth Bader Ginsburg left a long, impressive legacy that paved the way for thousands of women through her rulings. In United States v. Virginia (1996) she ruled that the Virginia Military Institute's only admission policy was unconstitutional. In Weinberger v. Wiesenfeld (1975), she argued for Stephen Wiesenfeld, who found out he didn't qualify for Social Security survivors' benefits for parents after his wife died because he was a man. She argued that him being denied for his gender was unconstitutional. In Olmstead v. L.C. (1999), Ginsburg argued that states are required to place those with mental disabilities in community settings rather than institutions. Her ruling in Whole Women's Health v. Hellerstedt (2016) is also one of her most important, as she declared this law would make it harder for women to access safe and legal abortions and that women in more desperate circumstances may look for more dangerous ways to obtain one.
Why should she matter to you?
R.B.G. didn't just pave the way for women in higher levels of education; she paved the way for women's accessibility to healthcare and for anti-gender discrimination movements. Her work against gender discrimination also benefited both sides of the pole, men. She proved to us as society that sexism isn't just something women are harmed by and showed us that its existence in our legal systems and education systems only hurts everyone involved, including those who set the system up and continue to benefit from it.
Where can you read more?
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