The Changing Role of Women in the Workforce

Traditionally, women have primarily been the employees of their own home. For centuries, it was the men who worked jobs to make money and the women who remained at home to raise the children and fulfill the household duties. Over time, some women have stood out among the crowd and have made themselves distinct due to extraordinary things they've accomplished through exhaustive efforts, but they were unique- it was not the norm. The waves of feminism, though, allowed for the introduction of women entering the workforce in large numbers, but this trend was in no way exclusively occurring in the United States. Around the world, as feminism became a stronger driving force and often due to looming economic pressures, women became united and fortified and became more involved and accepted in work and activities outside the home.

Americans and the members of other Western countries are accused of being ethnocentric by assuming that the increase of women in the workplace is unique to them and their countries; but in reality, this is not true. In Africa, where what is called Third-World feminism became a phenomenon, women were slowly becoming more involved in activities and jobs outside their traditional roles of mothers and housewives. These women consider themselves to have always been involved in feminism and in branching out their positions and responsibilities. In fact, social structures have been adapted during the past few decades, namely in the realms of housing, health, and education, to allow room for women to assume new functions. Changes in education are allowing for women who may previously have not attended school, to be educated in the ways that are necessary for them to contribute effectively in their jobs.