Women in the Workplace
In recent years there has been a drastic increase in the number of women entering and participating in the labor force (Hepburn & Simon, 2006). Since early history and the ancient civilization of man, women have played a secondary role, in which women were and still are viewed as less adequate than a man. A women’s traditional role in society is that of raising children, fulfilling duties around the house, and being the primary nurturer of the family. Many women in today’s society want and desire careers and a place in this Country. They want to stand on their own two feet, to become self sustaining individuals and to possess the feeling of independence and freedom. Issues that have and still plagued women in the workplace are many. Women in today’s workplace face many challenges such as discrimination, negative stereotypes of themselves, and sexual harassment. Although women in all careers are faced with these problems, the one thing that is clear is that women are striving to gain equality in the work force today.
In order to understand the full realm of women’s inequality in the workplace it would be important to understand some of the history of women’s fight for equality. The first women’s rights convention was in 1848 and truly marked the start of changes in women’s roles (Hepburn & Simon, 2006). Slowly but surely women won the right to vote in the United States in the year 1920. The 19th amendment was the first big “battle” women won. Once women began to vote, other changes took place like working more frequently outside the home. Soon after World War II began and there was a large rise of women workers, especially in blue collar positions. Women had to step up and fulfill the roles that the men held while they were away at war. The war was a big opportunity for women to step out of traditional gender roles and to work outside the home. Although the women were working the same job as the men who left to fight the war, they were not getting paid the same
In order to understand the full realm of women’s inequality in the workplace it would be important to understand some of the history of women’s fight for equality. The first women’s rights convention was in 1848 and truly marked the start of changes in women’s roles (Hepburn & Simon, 2006). Slowly but surely women won the right to vote in the United States in the year 1920. The 19th amendment was the first big “battle” women won. Once women began to vote, other changes took place like working more frequently outside the home. Soon after World War II began and there was a large rise of women workers, especially in blue collar positions. Women had to step up and fulfill the roles that the men held while they were away at war. The war was a big opportunity for women to step out of traditional gender roles and to work outside the home. Although the women were working the same job as the men who left to fight the war, they were not getting paid the same
Bibliography: Modeling Work: Occupational Messages in Seventeen Magazine Kelley Massoni Gender and Society, Vol. 18, No. 1 (Feb., 2004), pp. 47-65 Published by: Sage Publications, Inc. Understanding the Gender Gap in Small Business Success: Urban and Rural Comparisons Author(s): Sharon R. Bird and Stephen G. Sapp Source: Gender and Society, Vol. 18, No. 1 (Feb., 2004), pp. 5-28 Published by: Sage Publications, Inc. Hepburn, Stephanie, and Rita J. Simon. "Women 's Roles and Statuses the World Over." Gender Issues 23, no. 7 (Spring2006 2006): 62. MAS Ultra - School Edition, EBSCOhost (accessed October 30, 2008).