pp working women
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TRANSCRIPT
How have American and Italian women evolved in the field of work
during the 20th century?
Here is the perception of the working women…
…In the USA- If woman’s rights in Italy have changed
over the past 100 years, than woman’s rights in the US have changed even more.
- Today, in the USA, women and men do have equal opportunity. […] I’m not saying that we are 100% represented as equals to men by all, but we are moving forward.
- 100 years ago, our Supreme Court consisted of 9 white men. Today, we have 3 women, a Latin-American, a Jewish-American and an African-American.
…In Italy- Sono fortunatamente cresciuta in un
paese dove altre donne prima di me hanno lottato perché io possa ricoprire ogni ruolo.
- Per me è strano parlare di disparità tra sessi in un paese dove il presidente di Confindustria è Emma Marcegaglia, il ministro delle Pari Opportunità è Mara Carfagna, dove Miuccia Prada ed Elsa Fomero sono due tra le imprenditrici più celebri.
Quotations taken from “Se non ora quando” forum
The beginning of the 20th centuryIn the USA- NWTUL (Boston, 1903): coalition of
working-class women aimed to assure secure conditions necessary for work.
In Italy- Women were mainly agricultural labourers.- 1902: a female work lawo Working women could not be employed in
“dangerous” jobs.
Domestic life - Failure of Socialist Party that did not
manage to defend working women rights.- WWI: since men were drafted into war,
80% of women replaced men in factory work (armament industry).
A new working-class feminism
(picket lines)
- WWI: women won the right to vote. As men were called to war, companies opened their doors to women -> women had to give up their jobs to the returning men
The 1940s and the 1950s
In the USA- During WWII almost 300,000 women
served in the Army and Navy (jobs as secretaries, typists and nurses).
In Italy- Fascism: "La donna deve ritornare sotto al sudditanza
assoluta dell’uomo, padre o marito; sudditanza e, quindi, inferiorità spirituale, culturale ed economica“
- Women have lower salaries than men’s - Huge restrictions on hiring women in
state employments - Women were banned from top positions
in public service
- 1945: women were given the entitlement to vote
Formal equality (Constitution), actually discriminations held over
Feminism
In the USA 1920: the women’s suffrage movement +
a growing antiwar movement. 1942: As 16 million American men went
off to fight, women essentially took over maintenance of the U.S. economy. 6 million women recruited to work in military factories.
In Italy 1923: right to vote at local elections
(actually it was not enforced). After WWII: 21 women were voted within
the Assemblea Costituente. 1950: feminists voted for the legislative
reforms and sided with women workers and rice weeders.
From 1960s on: the right to abortion, it is possible to obtain a divorce, Equal Opportunity Commission.
In the USA 1920: the women’s suffrage movement +
a growing antiwar movement. 1942: As 16 million American men went
off to fight, women essentially took over maintenance of the U.S. economy. 6 million women recruited to work in military factories.
Here is a picture of a Women’s Lib march in Washington D.C. in 1970
Current times… Quick stats
In the USA (2009)- 59,2% of women were working.- Employed women: 40% = management and
professional. 32% = sales and office
occupations 21% = service occupations 5% = production and
transportation 1% = natural resources
In Italy (2009)- 46,4% of women were working.
Bibliography
- ”Se non ora quando” – Quotations taken from the forum.- “Women in the USA” - forum- U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment and Earnings,
2009 Annual Averages.- http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/ww/nwtul.html- Women’s History in America presented by Women’s International Center
http://www.wic.org/misc/history.htm - Marco Faraci “Un patriarcato a misura di donna” (postscript)- ISTAT
Martina & Cristina