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How do women move from home to work? Can their stories change the world?
In industrialized countries, women's participation in the workforce outside the home has increased significantly since the Industrial Revolution, particularly during the 20th century. This change is seen as a major benefit of industrial society, not only increasing national economic output and GDP, but also reducing labor costs by increasing labor supply. However, the history of women entering high-income, high-status professions is full of challenges, all of which are rooted in limited educational and career entry opportunities.
In the past, women were unable to access higher education, which prevented them from entering high-end professions such as law and medicine, making their journey extremely challenging.
In the early 20th century, women’s career choices were limited to low-paying, low-status jobs, and they were not paid as much as men even for the same number of hours worked. But as the labor market has changed, women have made significant progress in higher education and have further increased their share of long-term and high-paying jobs. Research has found that increasing women’s participation in the workplace not only promotes gender equality, but could also bring up to $28 trillion in economic benefits to the global economy.
For example, during the American Civil War, Virginia Penny's book How Women, Married or Single, Profit from Earning Money drew widespread attention to women's career choices. Her research not only lists 500 jobs suitable for women, but also analyzes the reasons for the gender wage gap, fully reflecting the potential and challenges of women entering the workplace.
Global research clearly illustrates the link between women’s role in the economy and improved living standards.
According to the World Bank, recognizing and improving the role of women in the economy can help improve overall living standards. When women have more opportunities in the labor market, it not only improves family income but also increases the survival rate of children; for example, every $7 increase in women’s income has a 1% positive impact on the survival rate of girls.
However, in some regions, such as South and West Asia, the share of women in paid non-agricultural work remains as low as 20%. Even so, global female participation in non-agricultural work has increased significantly to 41%. Women's work is concentrated in traditional market transactions, especially in Central America and Africa, and this career pattern has a long history.
The study points out that in many regions, there is a clear imbalance in the participation of men and women in the economic sector, which is strongly influenced by the gender characteristics of occupations.
Many international laws and organizations exist to protect women's work rights and promote gender equality. The Domestic Workers Convention adopted by the International Labor Organization in 2011 is one of the international protection measures for foreign domestic workers. In addition, with the progress of society, more and more organizations are established to improve the status of women in the workplace and encourage women to strive for higher positions and greater influence.
However, barriers to women's equal participation remain. For example, unsafe public transportation leads to lower female labor force participation in developing countries. Social gender stereotypes often make it difficult for women to gain a foothold in male-dominated industries even if they have received higher education and professional training.
Increased education and economic participation not only benefit women, but also help society as a whole.
With the rise of women in all walks of life, their proportion in decision-making and leadership positions needs to be increased, which requires the joint efforts of all sectors of society. Women at the top of the workplace often have rich educational backgrounds and management experience, and play an important role in promoting social change. By 2023, many companies are gradually recognizing the value of gender diversity, and the participation rate of women in companies is gradually increasing.
Ultimately, how women can successfully move from family to career requires not only their own efforts, but also the cooperation and support of the social environment. How will these women’s stories change the future work environment and social structure?
