In honor of Women's
History month it seems apropos to look back at just how far working women
have come over the last 100 years and to consider how far we still have
to go.
At
the beginning of the 20th century, according to the 1900
census, approximately 18% of women worked outside their
home and only one-fifth of these women were married. 75%
of the clerical workers were women; in fact, clerical work was
the largest job category of women's employment. By this
time, a large number of women were working as sales clerks, domestics,
hair dressers, and nurses. In other words, they were employed
in "women's work." However, a few women were in the
professions such as doctors, clergy, journalists, lawyers and
teachers.
Over the next couple of decades more women became independent
and there was a greater desire to have careers and earn their
own money. World War I brought new opportunities.
Women began to branch out more and learn to do jobs then
considered to be "men's" work.
By the 1920's women had obtained the vote. They began to
feel that they had more control over their lives. With the
possibility of new work options, more women began to complete
high school and attend college. Society began to look more
favorably on working women: 23% of women were now gainfully employed
but it was still expected that married women would remain at home
and pursue the career of "housewife." Teachers who married
automatically lost their jobs and a telephone operator had to
obtain her husband's permission to work for the telephone company.
Prior to the Depression, six million women were supporting themselves
During the Great Depression those who went to work were more likely
to be married and have a better education. Due to the Depression,
salaries were now much lower and women often shared the role of
breadwinner with their husbands. By 1935 the federal government
was funding state programs designed to take care of the children
of working women.
The 1940 census shows that most women still were employed in "women's
jobs." The advent of the Second World War changed
all this. Women were needed when their husbands left to
serve in the military and their wives found employment in
factories, the military service and even in professional positions
(Francis Perkins became the first woman cabinet member when appointed
Secretary of Labor by President Franklin Roosevelt.) Women
now had more choices open to them. However, they still were
not hired for high level positions.
Although it was assumed women would want to give up their jobs
and return to their role as a housewife when World War II
ended, this was inconsistent with the desire of some working
women. Many did surrender their jobs to the men who returned
from the war but, even so, by 1950 women made up 28% of the workforce.
Today approximately 60% of women are in the workforce and many
have professional careers. Women are members of congress, astronauts,
computer programmers and analysts, as well as doctors, scientists
and college professors. They are mayors and governors,
Supreme Court Justices, U.S Attorney General and Secretary of
State. Women have become confident that they can do any
job, apply any talent and receive an education in any field they
aspire to.
Women have come a long way in the world of employment but there
are many issues still left unresolved. There is still
a huge gender gap in salaries (women earn an average of 76 cents
to men's $1.00 for the same work) and good child care is expensive
and hard to find. Many jobs do not provide health coverage
and the women working in these positions may be the ones least
able to purchase it. Women take years off to be caregivers
for their families and therefore have lower pensions (if any)
and receive less in Social Security payments when they retire.
There is a bright side to this, however. Women have become
their own advocates and are actively lobbying for solutions to
working women's issues. With more women legislators there
is a greater chance that these problems will be resolved. Only
when we have equality in the workforce and recognition of both
the need for superior child care and assistance with caregiving
will women be able to reach their full potential. In this
election year we should be cognizant of these issues as we prepare
to vote and ask those running for office if and how
they will address these problems.
We owe a great deal to the women of the past who led the way.
They are too numerous to name. Let's honor them and celebrate
Women's History Month by continuing to work toward gender equity
in the workplace and throughout society.
