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Women’s role in the workplace
In the past, working women in the United States have been stereotyped in to roles only specific to their gender. We used to live in a world where only the man would work at the office and provide for his family, while his wife stayed at home raising the children, cooking, cleaning, etc. But now that stereotypical family is not so common anymore, and what is expected of women and men in the workplace is changing. The gain of women in the workplace has been increasing since World World II, due to changes in society and gender roles of both men and women. Women’s occupations were limited due to cultural expectations of their roles in society, as well as economic dependency on men and lack of education. Most women were denied access in to schools and universities regarding high status professions, such as business, law, and medicine.

Although the rise of women’s labor force has been recognized as “one of the most profound social changes of the post-war decade”, women are still unable to escape stereotypical gender roles in the workplace, whether it’s regarding their household responsibilities or their biological clock.

History

 * Starting in the Victorian period, women’s roles considering working were regarded as domestic only (Women, employment, and the family in the international division of labour). Other than taking care of the family, they would have occupations in dressmaking or milliners, as well as made up two thirds of the teachers in the United States . Women were viewed as pure and elegant to men, and not as contributors to their family’s income. Their role was to get married and have children, raising and preserving their family in accordance to societies guidelines.
 * The Civil War allowed for more opportunities of women becoming educated. It became more acceptable for them to attend schools and universities, which allowed them to obtain more professional careers. For example, many women attended medical school which became suitable work for women. Even though many medical schools did not allow women, the Female Medical college of Pennsylvania was established in 1850 to give women the opportunity to practice medicine. It wasn’t until 1910’s were women admitted into elite medical schools. Although, since so many women were married and having children at such a young age, the education required for other high-status jobs prevented them from taking advantage.
 * During the twentieth century, women began to increase their status in the workplace. The majority of women were working factory work (such as machine operators or assemblers), retail sales, and service jobs. Typically, the only positions women held in corporate industries or businesses, were secretaries, book keepers, and typists.
 * During the time of World War II, almost 300,000 women served as nurses in the Army and Navy, and fought the underground resistance movement. WWII also created an increase in available jobs for women, since so many men were overseas. This is when the role of women changed, as many of them became employed to support their families.

Present Day

 * According the United States of Labor department, 46.5% of women are employed . Women also now hold positions of authority, such as managers, officials, and other administrators. The amount of high-status jobs is increasing, but most powerful, high paying jobs are still held by men. Women are still working to be taken seriously in the work place and hold more elite, decision making jobs which they are capable of.
 * The most popular jobs help by women include: secretaries and administrative assistants, registered nurses, elementary and middle school teachers, cashiers, and retail salespersons.
 * 5.4 percent of women are unemployed, compared to 6.1 percent of men.

Inequality between genders

 * The inequality between men and women in the workplace comes from the positions they hold and the amount of pay. History has determined which jobs are acceptable for men and women, and has made it difficult for both genders to overcome.
 * Women have been trying to break into the corporate world since the 1980’s, and are increasing the amount of jobs held. Their biggest disadvantage is the question of whether they could be a permanent employee, depending on if they are getting married, already married, or pregnancy in the future. Today, many women put off having children in order to continue working.
 * For example, Meredith Viera was not allowed to continue her part-time status as a correspondent on “60 minutes” due to childbearing and childrearing responsibilities. Viera had to negotiate the unprecedented part-time position for a lower salary, with the possibly she would become pregnant again.
 * Women also face discrimination in the workplace from men based on the judgement of lack of intelligence or power, as men have the preconceived notion they are superior and more powerful to women .This leads to many women not given the opportunity to obtain decision making or leadership jobs which stereotypically a man would hold the position. Gender based stereotyping undermines a woman’s ability to successfully work or obtain a position, as well as challenges the advancement of a woman’s career.
 * Catalyst released a study called “Women take care, Men take charge: stereotyping of U.S Business leaders exposed”, personality differences also effect the gender stereotyping in the workplace. Men find women to be less adept at problem solving, which suggests they are unable to successfully lead . This dominates current corporate thinking, since men outnumber women in top management positions, and it is difficult for women to overcome this gender barrier.


 * The Equal Pay Act of 1963 was established to end the wage disparity based on sex. The act passed by Congress allowed for women to be recognized as equal in the work place to men. However, there are still many cases where women are receiving less amount of pay than men for the same job. Men earn more money in every occupation- even predominantly female jobs . Men make more money in jobs such as teaching, librarianship, and social work. In corporate positions, women tend to make 74 to 90 percent of men’s salaries. Progress in closing the gender gap in wages has slowed considerably, since 1990.