Gender Discrimination During The Great Depression
Even before the start of The Great Depression, women had great struggles at home and in society. They were discriminated against based solely on gender and not on their ability to work. Once times became tough due to the economic downfall, prejudice held them back from their full potential. Their opportunities decreased and their wages dropped significantly at jobs. During The Great Depression, the chance for women to become involved in the workforce grew considerably smaller due to the little relief given, working conditions, and racial discrimination during this oppressive time.
To begin, gender discrimination held many women back from receiving relief needed after losing their previous jobs. “New Deal legislation provided relief to both …show more content…
A majority of the jobs had pungent odors, inadequate air ventilation, and were overall unsafe for anyone to work in. For example, “In 1937 Detroit, there were 4,000 women working for seven days a week in tobacco shops and the poor ventilation caused many to faint.” (Historic Detroit) Not just that, but the amount of hours worked by these women to achieve a wage was outrageous. A large proportion of women would work up to ten hours each day and were severely underpaid. “According to the Social Security Administration, women's average annual pay in 1937 was $525, compared with $1,027 for men.” (DISCovering U.S. History, Gale) This data proved that a woman received two times less than a man annually because of their gender and a desperate need to work in order to support themselves. Furthermore, many did not get much sleep, grew weak, and were susceptible to many illnesses when working in unsanitary areas. Thus, while some jobs were safe, such as working as a shopkeeper or librarian, a majority of women had to instead work at unacceptable jobs to survive. The more masculine jobs that were offered to women became more unsafe and gruesome in an attempt to earn money. In short, the conditions that women had to endure during The Great Depression were unspeakable and
To begin, gender discrimination held many women back from receiving relief needed after losing their previous jobs. “New Deal legislation provided relief to both …show more content…
A majority of the jobs had pungent odors, inadequate air ventilation, and were overall unsafe for anyone to work in. For example, “In 1937 Detroit, there were 4,000 women working for seven days a week in tobacco shops and the poor ventilation caused many to faint.” (Historic Detroit) Not just that, but the amount of hours worked by these women to achieve a wage was outrageous. A large proportion of women would work up to ten hours each day and were severely underpaid. “According to the Social Security Administration, women's average annual pay in 1937 was $525, compared with $1,027 for men.” (DISCovering U.S. History, Gale) This data proved that a woman received two times less than a man annually because of their gender and a desperate need to work in order to support themselves. Furthermore, many did not get much sleep, grew weak, and were susceptible to many illnesses when working in unsanitary areas. Thus, while some jobs were safe, such as working as a shopkeeper or librarian, a majority of women had to instead work at unacceptable jobs to survive. The more masculine jobs that were offered to women became more unsafe and gruesome in an attempt to earn money. In short, the conditions that women had to endure during The Great Depression were unspeakable and