Background Analysis

Discrimination against women has not just been an issue in America for a few years, it has been ongoing from the mid-1800's, until present day. Women have been classified with this idea of being in a "private sphere." Women have been surrounded by this private sphere that contains their homes, husbands, and children. Nowhere in this sphere is there room for work. The stereotype wife consists of, taking care of the house, making food for the family, and watching over the kids while their husbands are out working. Women were constantly being denied the right to participate in anything outside of their "sphere." From the article, "Women in the Workplace," it was stated 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." This quotation is suggesting that women should be working hard at home so that their husbands who work so hard during the day do not have to lift a finger when they return home from work. The reason why were women were stuck in their homes, was because they were constantly denied the opportunities to work. During the 19th and 20th century women began fighting for their rights in the workplace. American women were denied job opportunities by law. Wars and industrial movements were the primary cause for women starting to be seen in the workplace. While men were off fighting at war, women would work in shoe and textile factories. From the start, women's wages were still low, working conditions were poor, and they had little time off. These unfair treatments did not go unnoticed. Women began taking a stance and fighting for their rights. The Nineteenth Amendment was passed in 1919 which guaranteed women the right to vote in all local, state, and national elections. The more that women continued to fight for what they wanted, the more opportunities came about that enabled women to gain equal rights. The passing of The Equal Pay Act was another major progression for women. On June 10, 1963, the act required equal pay to both male and female employees for jobs that had the same skill, effort, and jobs with similar working conditions. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 was amended by adding the Equal Pay Act into a new subsection. The Act stated that no employer, when hiring, is able to discriminate based on gender. No employer has the right to not pay a women equally if they have the same skills, put in the same effort and responsibility as a man. Employers are however, able to distribute wages based on the seniority system, a merit system, a system that measures earnings by quantity or quality of production, or a differential based on any other factor other than gender. Unfortunately, these acts made gender discrimination in the workplace illegal, but men employers found ways around this. Employers continued to hire women in lower-paying jobs. Secretaries and stenographers were two occupations that were popular from women to uphold in the 1960's. These two jobs were based of a lower pay scale, which went around the Equal Pay Act. Women were still not gaining the respect they were hoping for. Men continued to undermine women's labor rights. As harsh as women were treated, they still continued to spread awareness of how they were treated. Unfortunately, the public attention was struck due to a massive fire. Even before the Nineteenth Amendment was passed, the public was well aware of the gender inequalities that were taking place in the workplace. On March 25, 1911 the Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire was the worst industrial fire in New York's History. The fire killed 146 garment workers, mostly all women. The government's attention was brought to the safety and working conditions throughout the city. The Triangle Shirtwaist Company contained 500 employees who were mostly Jewish and Italian women. The factory had poor conditions, no sprinklers and the exit doors were kept looked to prevent the women from taking breaks. The ventilation systems and fire escapes were in bad condition as well. The fire only lasted for 15 minutes. The building itself was covered with flammable bolts and scraps of fabric. The following week a march of 10,000 sympathizers took place in New York City. The New York legislature passed many laws that improved working conditions and safety. Even today women are still not treated equal to men when it comes to working. The progression for women's rights has been tremendous. Rallies and riots have allowed the public to realize and take a stance on gender discrimination. Laws have been created in order benefit women's rights. As history shows, women have and gradually are making progress for equal rights.