Women in the Workplace

The role of women in the workplace has definitely changed throughout time. During the 19th and 20th century women began fighting for their rights in the workplace. American women were denied job opportunities by law. After reading this article, I realized that women were discriminated against no matter what race or ethnicity they were. African American women during the 18th and 19th century had jobs the were not common for a normal white women. They would work in the fields, picking cotton and other raw crops in plantations. Two factors for women's job opportunities to increase, were wars and industrial movements. By the 1830's women would be found taking jobs in the shoe and textile factories. Although women began entering the work place, their wages were low, conditions, and little time off. While reading this article, I kept thinking to myself, why were women treated this way? What made women so different from men that they weren't able to have the same job and/or no job at all? As I continued to read, the article suggested that,
"the cult of domesticity of the time held that women should remain in the home to provide a refuge for men from the difficulties of the industrial workplace." The stereotype, that still exists today, is that women are only good for cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children while their husbands are at work. This connects back to the stereotype of slaves during the 1800's. White slaveholders believed slaves were only good for work and nothing else. Blacks were mistreated because they were black, and they were limited to their rights. Women were mistreated in the work place because they were females. As women continued to fight for their rights, the statistics show how much women progressed. One statistic that I found very interesting was that in 1948, 25% of married American women with children worked outside the home. In 1960, 40% of married women were working and by 1980 the rate increased to 60%. In 2010, many working women have trouble trying to find a balance between work and family. In the 1800's, it wasn't even a possibility for women to work at all. As history presents itself, women have gained their rights and have proven they are just as capable of any task as men are.

"Women in the Workplace." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 28 Jan. 2010. .