It's Up to the Women

Working women of the 1930s

     The 1930s was the era of the Great Depression, in which the women took on a completely new role. Now that the rebellious flapper stage was over, many expected women to resort back to their traditional roles; however, washing the dishes, cleaning the household, and strictly taking care of the children were all things of the past. They took it upon themselves to get a job and help support their families.

     Women began to acquire jobs as school teachers, nurses, factory workers, secretaries, social workers, and journalists. Although this was a major step for them, women still struggled to be treated as equal citizens. During the Depression,  they often worked for long hours, in poor conditions, and for half the pay of what a male would receive. Even though women began to work in factories, they still weren't considered suitable for heavy construction jobs, and they were sometimes stuffed into minuscule sewing rooms.

     In addition to the already deficient conditions that women worked in, they faced much social criticism because they were believed to be taking away jobs from the men. In many of these cases though, the women were doing the work at wages that most men wouldn't be willing to accept. These were types of things that made women so strong and courageous. Despite all of the obstacles in their way, they did what they thought best to keep their families secure.

     Although at the time many were against the new roles that women were taking on, when you take a step back and examine the crisis, the country would not have been able to piece itself back together without their help. Being able to bring in two incomes for some families helped significantly and single women needed the jobs to keep themselves afloat, especially if children were involved. The days of the quiet, obedient housewife were numbered and the rise of strong, independent women was on the horizon. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "A women is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it's in hot water." 

Sources: 
http://paperchildren.com/2011/02/gender-roles-in-the-1930s/
http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/great-depression/essays/women-and-great-depression
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Working_women.aspx
http://mayfieldfhs.wikispaces.com/file/view/1930_women.jpg/122494903/480x336/1930_women.jpg