Then and Now- A Women's Role
Alexandra Lawrence and Sarah Reside
A Glimpse into History
- Women began entering the workforce in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, around the 1850's.
- To add to the workforce, women and children needed to work in the factories.
- Because cities were centers for available work (and farms were bringing in less money) women and their families moved and worked in industries to support themselves.
- As the role of women progressed, their responsibilities changed and so did the world.
- The industrial revolution flourished.
The Impact of Women Entering the Workforce in Great Britain
Economic:
- Increase in labor force.
- Flourishing of capitalism.
- Women began earning wages and supporting the family.
- Sparked the suffragette movement; the beginning of protests, campaigns, and demonstrations for women's rights.
- Women's right to vote.
- Women took the positions of men.
- Domestic sphere created.
- Higher education for women.
Impact of Women Entering the Work Force on the World
Economic:
- Provided a steady labor force.
- Aided mass production and factory production.
Political:
- Began women's rights movement.
- Aided capitalism.
Social:
- Many factories, initially, were women.
- Working life became separate from domestic life for both sexes.
- Increased women's participation outside the home.
Women Today
- Today, women can receive the same salary as men and hold the same professions as men.
- Women have the right to vote and the opportunity to join the armed forces.
- Women are able to play a role in the government and influence the country.
- Work life and home life are separate spheres for all genders and the role of taking care of the family can be placed on either sex.