Karen Offen, historian at Stanford University in California, and a senior scholar at the Michelle R. Clayman Institute for Gender Research, explains how the antiquated economic theory known as the male breadwinner model has constrained women in the economy--and still limits them today.

Historically, a woman's marital status has significantly influenced her ability to control land, assets or income. Historian Karen Offen explores the constraints that women faced and discovers how some were able to escape them to achieve economic and political power.