Evolution of Women in Workforce

Women had traditionally been considered or treated as housekeepers, leaving the concept of employment to men in society. For decades, women did not appear to be drawn to influential positions in the labor market. Because of rising female empowerment around the world, this pattern has shifted, and more women are stepping into high-profile positions. Women dominated the job market in 2011, a first in US history. Women made up slightly more than half of the workforce at the time (Gaag). The growing number of women in the labor force has been linked to a desire for independence and the power to make choices.In high profile jobs such as in political sector and large corporates, there has been an increase in the number of women though the number is still low compared to men. According to Gaag’s report, men still dominate in the largest corporations. Of the 500 corporates in the US, only 23 are headed by the female which is about 4.6% (Gaag). Therefore there is still force drawing women from rising to elevated positions. This paper, therefore, will focus on how gender, social status, and the general society have impacted the change in the women's labor and participation in the job market.

The change in women's thought on venturing to the task which previously seemed vague to them is itself a drawback to their empowerment. For women to rise from low profile to adopt entirely in the high profile employment sector accept the idea of employment. According to the initial status of work in factories, women who came from the rural to work in the mills seemed to accept to adapt fully to the workstation after interacting and perhaps being empowered by others (Dublin 82). Women who joined the mills were helped by the existing community workers through recruitment, and this helped them to adjust to the work in the mills.it is through these social interactions that women managed to form labor movement to speak for themselves as a group of women who worked in the mills (Dublin 82).

The force behind one woman is much insignificant as compared to a group of women. For instance, the unity formed by female workers and the female student in the first half of the nineteenth century made the female to have greater influence in America (Dublin 83). The urge to unionize has led to the increase of participant in the labor unions that help in fighting for workers' rights. Women, therefore, are rising as representatives in the labor movement with 2014 recording 45% of union members being women which is an increase from the one-third in the 1984 (Picchi). The report recognizes the dominance of male in the job market as a hindrance to the rapid increase of women in the labor unions.

Women in many societies have been regarded as vulnerable and without capability or rights to join the upper profile of leadership. That is why Abigail letter to John Adams is trying to urge him to speak for the ladies. Women in most cases lack representatives in the major bodies concerned with policies and implementations (Adams). This leads to the neglect of women rights and has contributed to the low number of women in leadership. Abigail is crying that the new reforms should concentrate in empowering women as there were no empowerments in the previous time. The fear of giving all power to the man has an impact on the gender equality and as a letter to John Adams dictated the unlimited power in the hand of the husbands will not recognize the impact of the woman in the society (Adams).

However, there is that force that drives women despite the lack of participation in congress matter. In her later Abigail foresaw the revolution of women resistance to laws proposed by a man if the policies failed to pay attention to the ladies (Adams). Earlier revolutionary spirits also contributed in enlightening women on the importance of self-reliance and independence. Women desired that the coming generation of young women to form a new era in female history. In that respect, they attributed the new revolution of women be dominate by characteristics such as literacy, rational, self-reliance and independence (Kerber 147). This is who they become to recognize as the Republican woman who was to fight and demand recognition in the society.

Women workers in the offices in the early nineteenth century were seen as unfit for the positions even low as the clerical work. This led to men dominating in the offices as clerks (England and Boyer 311). Employers, therefore, were reluctant to hire women. According to the article, the increase in the number of women in offices was due to the increasing demand of the workforce. In this case, therefore, the empowerment of women was driven not by the will of the employers but by the forces such as the increased demand for workers. The clerical work then becomes flooded by women and portrayed as women work as it becomes the most gender segregated occupation (England and Boyer 307). The upsurge in the number of women in clerical work led to a revolution that the offices and clerical work would be filled or performed by women. It was noted that in the1880s typing areas were occupied by 4% women the rest being men. However there was a significant increase in the number as more women adopted the typing and this recorded about 77% of the total typist in the 1900s (England and Boyer 312).

Another major factor that contributed to women adaptation to join various jobs is the civil wars especially the world war. During the world war two in 1939, a significant portion of men in America left their homes to fight. This forced women to join the workforce in pursuit of catering for the family's needs. Due to the reduced number of male workers they were forced to join some professional that were previously held by men. The government played a major role too in encouraging women to join the workforce (Shah, “Evolution of Women in Workforce”). Women after that felt a sense of independence and more comfortable joining the workforce rather than sticking to the earlier traditions where they were reluctant to join the force. Also, the increased labor unions and non-governmental organization's plea for women rights elevated women's courage to join the workforce (Shah, “Evolution of Women in Workforce”).

The governments in later years seem interested in empowering women as more women started joining the Congress. The speech by Shirley Chishom first African American member of the Congress made the state implement some policies that previously hindered the employment of women in what was regarded as men work (Shah, “Equal Right Speech”).Despite the efforts to join the workforce, the issue of wages also emerged as men were paid more as compared to the counterparts. This also developed an argument as most of the jobs performed by men required a higher level of skills as compared to jobs held by women. However, the government in 1963 passed the equal pay act that helped in bridging the pay gap between men and women performing the same task (Shah, “Equal Right Speech”).

Women participation in leadership, especially in the labor unions, is crucial in redefining their role in the job market. Also, for more laws that will continue empowering them, they need to join massively in a political position and perhaps send more members to represent them in the Congress.





Works Cited

Adams, Abigail. "Remember the Ladies." Hanover College, 31 March, 1776, history.hanover.edu/courses/excerpts/165adams-rtl.html. Accessed 20 Feb. 2017.

Dublin, Thomas. Women at Work: The Transformation of Work and Community in Lowell, Massachusetts, 1826-1860. Columbia University Press, 1981.

England, Kim and Kate Boyer. "Women’s Work: The Feminization and Shifting Meanings of Clerical work." Journal of Social History, vol. 43, no. 2, 2009, pp. 307-340.

Gaag, Nikki Van der. "Women's Rights and Gender Equality." The Guardian, 29 Sept. 2014, www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/sep/29/women-better-off-far-from-equal-men. Accessed 20 Feb. 2017.

Kerber, Linda. The Republican Mother and the Woman Citizen: Contradiction and Choices in Revolutionary America. University of North Carolina Press, 1980.

Picchi, Aiimee. "Why Women May Be the New Face of Labor Unions." CBS News, 9 Sept. 2015, www.cbsnews.com/news/why-women-may-be-the-new-face-of-labor-unions/. Accessed 20 Feb. 2017.

Shah, Dhara. "Shirley Chisholm’s Equal Right Speech." WorkingWomen, 14 April 2015, workingwomen.web.unc.edu/. Accessed 20 Feb. 2017.

Shah, Dhara. "Evolution of Women in Workforce." WorkingWomen, 23 April 2015. workingwomen.web.unc.edu/. Accessed 20 Feb. 2017.