Women in the Workplace

In recent years there has been a drastic increase in the number of women entering and participating in the labor force (Hepburn & Simon, 2006). Since early history and the ancient civilization of man, women have played a secondary role, in which women were and still are viewed as less adequate than a man. A women's traditional role in society is that of raising children, fulfilling duties around the house, and being the primary nurturer of the family. Many women in today's society want and desire careers and a place in this Country. They want to stand on their own two feet, to become self sustaining individuals and to possess the feeling of independence and freedom. Issues that have and still plagued women in the workplace are many. Women in today's workplace face many challenges such as discrimination, negative stereotypes of themselves, and sexual harassment. Although women in all careers are faced with these problems, the one thing that is clear is that women are striving to gain equality in the work force today.

President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the 1964 Civil R...

Civil Rights Act of 1964

English: Final roll call vote in the U.S. House of...

In order to understand the full realm of women's inequality in the workplace it would be important to understand some of the history of women's fight for equality. The first women's rights convention was in 1848 and truly marked the start of changes in women's roles (Hepburn & Simon, 2006). Slowly but surely women won the right to vote in the United States in the year 1920. The 19th amendment was the first big "battle" women won. Once women began to vote, other changes took place like working more frequently outside the home. Soon after World War II began and there was a large rise of women workers, especially in blue collar positions. Women had to step up and fulfill the roles that the men held...