Born Yesterday: Dramaturgy Guide
Prepared by Madison Delk
Gender Gap
Average Age of Marriage
Males
Females
1940
24.3
21.5
1950
22.8
20.3
2010
26.1
28.2
Labor Force (1914-1918)
During WWI, large numbers of women were recruited into jobs vacated by men who had gone to fight in the war. New jobs were also created as part of the war effort, for example in munitions factories. The high demand for weapons resulted in the munitions factories becoming the largest single employer of women during 1918. Though there was initial resistance to hiring women for what was seen as ‘men’s work’, the introduction of conscription in 1916 made the need for women workers urgent. Around this time, the government began coordinating the employment of women through campaigns and recruitment drives.
Labor Force (1939-1945)
Labor Force (1939-1945)
In many ways, the story of women’s employment during WWI was repeated during WWII. Despite their success in wartime industries during WWI, the employers and the government circulated similar stereotypes about women’s capacity and ability to engage in ‘men’s work’. Trade unions again expressed concerns about men’s pay being pushed down and sought assurances that women’s wartime work would only be temporary.
Some limited agreement on equal pay was reached that allowed equal pay for women where they performed the same job as men had ‘without assistance or supervision'. Most employers managed to circumvent the issue of equal pay, and women’s pay remained on average 53% of the pay of the men they replaced.
According to the Encyclopedia of American Economic History, "Rosie the Riveter" inspired a social movement that increased the number of working American women from 12 million to 20 million by 1944.
In many ways, the story of women’s employment during WWI was repeated during WWII. Despite their success in wartime industries during WWI, the employers and the government circulated similar stereotypes about women’s capacity and ability to engage in ‘men’s work’. Trade unions again expressed concerns about men’s pay being pushed down and sought assurances that women’s wartime work would only be temporary.
Some limited agreement on equal pay was reached that allowed equal pay for women where they performed the same job as men had ‘without assistance or supervision'. Most employers managed to circumvent the issue of equal pay, and women’s pay remained on average 53% of the pay of the men they replaced.
According to the Encyclopedia of American Economic History, "Rosie the Riveter" inspired a social movement that increased the number of working American women from 12 million to 20 million by 1944.
Labor Force (1946-1970)
The post-war reconstruction effort made the need for an expanded labor force urgent. In the late 1940s, the government launched campaigns to encourage women to enter or stay in the labor market, and encouraged the migration of workers from (former) British colonies to fill the labor shortages.
The welfare state created many job opportunities in what was seen as ‘women’s work’. Jobs were available in the newly created National Health Service for nurses, midwives, cleaners and clerical staff. Banking, textile and light industries such as electronics also expanded during this period and provided women with opportunities in clerical, secretarial and assembly work. Jobs were still strictly segregated by gender and routine repetitive work was categorized as women’s work for women’s (lower) wages.
The proportion of women in the labor force as a percentage of women of working age (15-64) increased from 45.9% in 1955 to 51% in 1965. Despite this increase in the rate of women’s employment, women were still considered to be 'secondary workers'. Women's wages were not considered central to families’ income; instead it was thought that women's wages were for ‘extras’ such as holidays or new consumer durables. Mothers of young children were once again discouraged from working and the post-war Labor government closed most of the state funded nurseries set up during the WWII. Welfare payments for families were based on the assumption that a man’s income supported his wife and children who were his dependents (the ‘family wage’). The benefit rates for married women were set at a lower level than those for married men.
In the early 50s, many employers still operated a ‘Marriage bar’, whereby married women were barred from certain occupations like teaching and clerical jobs (but not lower paid jobs) and those working were sacked upon marriage. But throughout the 1950s and 60s it became more common for married women to work for wages - at least part-time. By the 1960, 38% of married women worked but women were routinely sacked when they got pregnant and continued to be paid less than men even if they did the same jobs.
http://www.striking-women.org/main-module-page/women-and-work
Photos taken from the 1946 labor census. They depict the gender gap of who was hired and how much they were paid.
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http://www2.census.gov/library/publications/1946/compendia/statab/67ed/1946-03.pdf