Final answer:
The correct answer is option a) Married Women's Property Acts.
Step-by-step explanation:
Married women gained the ability to own and handle their own property due to the enactment of Married Women's Property Acts. These acts were a series of laws that began to be passed in various jurisdictions in the 19th century. Prior to these acts, under the legal doctrine of coverture, married women had no separate legal or economic status from their husbands, effectively disabling them from owning property, suing or being sued, or entering into contracts in their own right.
The Married Women's Property Acts were reforms introduced in the wake of social movements where women advocated for equal rights, including property ownership, the right to education, and eventually, suffrage. Over time, these acts helped to improve the legal standings of married women, allowing for greater economic independence and rights.