‘American women experienced only limited changes in their employment
opportunities in the years 1919-41’. How far do you agree with this statement?
It can be suggested that American women experienced limited changes in their
employment opportunities in the years 1919-41 as a result of the problems faced in
the USA at that time. However, it is not accurate to say that women didn’t achieve
any opportunities throughout these years.
Women only faced limited changes in their employment opportunities between the
years of 1919 and 1941 as they only had the chance to work in light or clerical work.
For example, there were only 150 women dentists by 1930 and 100 female
accountants. As a result, it was very rare for them to move up to managerial positions
as they were very outnumbered and had little chances. Women were also expected
give up their work for their families or if they had married as they had to work within
their household taking care of their families. This shows that American women did
experience limited changes in their employment opportunities because they were
forced to work with light or clerical work and if they had a child or were married they
were expected to give up their job and become a full-time housewife.
There were also limited opportunities for women in the years of the Depression and
the New Deal. This is clear as women were the first people to lose their jobs when
the Depression started, and there were very limited amounts of agencies or policies
put in place in the New Deal that protected women, with the exception of the ‘She-
She-She Camps’ set up by Eleanor Roosevelt that mirrored the works of the CCC for
women. Similarly, some alphabet agencies, including the CCC, banned women from
working in those camps and the NRA allowed jobs to give unequal pay for men and
women. This shows that the government was mostly focused on solving
unemployment for men which meant that women were offered very little
employment opportunities during the depression years.
However, it is not accurate to say that women faced no changes in their employment
opportunities between the years of 1919 and 1941 as there were great opportunities
at the time of the war. This is because the country needed the women to take over
the jobs of the men while they were away at the war. As a result, there were 22% of
women working in the manufacturing workforce by 1941. This shows that although
they may have been limited on the opportunities before, they were now working in
most areas that were previously dominated by men as the men were sent to war.
Therefore it is clear that women faced some employment opportunities even if it was
only for the war years.
opportunities in the years 1919-41’. How far do you agree with this statement?
It can be suggested that American women experienced limited changes in their
employment opportunities in the years 1919-41 as a result of the problems faced in
the USA at that time. However, it is not accurate to say that women didn’t achieve
any opportunities throughout these years.
Women only faced limited changes in their employment opportunities between the
years of 1919 and 1941 as they only had the chance to work in light or clerical work.
For example, there were only 150 women dentists by 1930 and 100 female
accountants. As a result, it was very rare for them to move up to managerial positions
as they were very outnumbered and had little chances. Women were also expected
give up their work for their families or if they had married as they had to work within
their household taking care of their families. This shows that American women did
experience limited changes in their employment opportunities because they were
forced to work with light or clerical work and if they had a child or were married they
were expected to give up their job and become a full-time housewife.
There were also limited opportunities for women in the years of the Depression and
the New Deal. This is clear as women were the first people to lose their jobs when
the Depression started, and there were very limited amounts of agencies or policies
put in place in the New Deal that protected women, with the exception of the ‘She-
She-She Camps’ set up by Eleanor Roosevelt that mirrored the works of the CCC for
women. Similarly, some alphabet agencies, including the CCC, banned women from
working in those camps and the NRA allowed jobs to give unequal pay for men and
women. This shows that the government was mostly focused on solving
unemployment for men which meant that women were offered very little
employment opportunities during the depression years.
However, it is not accurate to say that women faced no changes in their employment
opportunities between the years of 1919 and 1941 as there were great opportunities
at the time of the war. This is because the country needed the women to take over
the jobs of the men while they were away at the war. As a result, there were 22% of
women working in the manufacturing workforce by 1941. This shows that although
they may have been limited on the opportunities before, they were now working in
most areas that were previously dominated by men as the men were sent to war.
Therefore it is clear that women faced some employment opportunities even if it was
only for the war years.
