Women In Japan's Industrial Revolution

On the other hand, although women were ruthlessly exploited they became the key to the country’s success. In a time of social upheaval, women were highly encouraged to be the moral foundation of the country, often being told that they were assisting the country in its needs, in spite of the fact that they were being treated as virtual prisoners whilst held captive by the dominant power of industrialisation in the eyes of Japan’s future success. In the commercial sector the labour provided by women became the basis of the country’s economic success, one author commenting that “without the work of Japan's women, the apparent miracle of Japan's economic growth might not have been possible”. Japan needed a way to finance its modernisation effort, and the country found its main drive through the means of the industry of textile.
Women workers were the driving force behind Japan’s developing industrial economy, they were in the words of one historian, “the backbone of Japan’s Industrial Revolution”. Industrialisation and modernisation were the key themes underlying all aspects of change and the government was determined to promote vigorous domestic production of cotton and silk, and women, especially those that resided from the countryside, were to be key figures in such production. A large number of women have always worked as an important part of the labour force but it was the rise in the level of education that encouraged women to pursue their interests in social participation. Ever since Japanese girls were recruited as factory workers at the dawn of industrialisation in the late 19th century, their contributions towards the economic sector of their nation has gained them access to their own employment rights and a push towards