WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE

As stated previously, women have taken the role of housewife,

mother, and nurturer throughout history. Women have long been
stereotyped to stay at home and take care of the house and children.
It has been their job to cook the meals, do the laundry, and manage
the children’s life. Even today, motherhood is still considered to be
the primary role for women. Women that do not take on this role are
often viewed as selfish.

In the past women that took on roles outside the home are
stereotyped as self centered. Because women were thought of as
homemakers, they often held jobs that were meaningless and not
considered prestigious. Clearly, circumstances of family life have
changed in the modern era. Large populations of women have and
will continue to join the workplace. Even in today’s society, women
are not treated the same as men.

Four – five centuries ago, it was impossible for women to work on an equal basis with
men, and in modern times, the situation has changed. Nevertheless, women still face
gender stereotypes and a glass ceiling in the workplace.

From the historical perspectives, the changing position of women in the workforce is
illustrated by the feminist movements that were held with the goal of acquiring the
possibility to work. Though these movements began to gain momentum since the 1960s,
for the first time, women entered the workplace during World War II when men were
forced to become soldiers, and women had to take their workplaces even if a job required
hard manual labor. However, even in the developed countries, after the end of the War,
“women disappeared from industrial employment with postwar reconversion” (Kossoudji
& Dresser, 1992, p.431). From this, it could be inferred that society still was convinced
that a woman should be a housewife, while a man should be an employee.

From the viewpoint of a historian, it is essential to mention the Quiet Revolution that goes
on since the mid-1970s. This revolution is marked by the transformation of the labor
market since the number of employed women continues to increase. Due to globalization’s
rising speed, this process affects not only economically developed countries but also the
developing ones. According to Goldin (2006), this revolution is remarkable because it
changes how women perceive themselves; it modifies their individual identities. Thus,
over time globalization women have more political and economic freedom.

Between the 1930s and mid-1970s, women’s participation in the economy

continued to rise, with the gains primarily owing to an increase in work
among married women. By 1970, 50 percent of single women and 40
percent of married women were participating in the labor force. Several
factors contributed to this rise. First, with the advent of mass high school
education, graduation rates rose substantially. At the same time, new
technologies contributed to an increased demand for clerical workers, and
these jobs were increasingly taken on by women. Moreover, because these
jobs tended to be cleaner and safer, the stigma attached to work for a
married woman diminished. That said, early in that period, most women
still expected to have short careers, and women were still largely viewed as
secondary earners whose husbands’ careers came first.
By the early 1990s, the labor force participation rate of prime working-age
women—those between the ages of 25 and 54—reached just over 74
percent, compared with roughly 93 percent for prime working-age men. By
then, the share of women going into the traditional fields of teaching,
nursing, social work, and clerical work declined, and more women were
becoming doctors, lawyers, managers, and professors. As women
increased their education and joined industries and occupations formerly
dominated by men, the gap in earnings between women and men began to
close significantly. (The history of women’s work and wages and
how it has created success for us all Janet L. Yellen
https://www.brookings.edu/essay/the-history-of-womens-work-
and-wages-and-how-it-has-created-success-for-us-all/ )

Moving to the sphere of the humanities, it is curious to notice that women with a degree in
this field are two times more likely to be employed in teaching than men (American
Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2015). In contrast, men more frequently get managerial
positions (American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2015). Besides, the field of
humanities, in contrast to exact sciences, is commonly believed to be female. According to
Trusz (2020), this division exists because teachers more actively encourage boys during
math and physics classes while girls during the literature, history, and language ones.
Although humanities are regarded as a female by nature, the survey conducted by Brown
(2019) reveals that, on average, a male artist’s work is sold at a higher price than a female
one. This point signifies that women’s labor is still rated as cheaper in contrast to one of
men.

The perspective of natural and applied sciences is closely related to the previously
described topic of humanities due to the existence of gender prejudices. The survey
conducted by Noonan (2017) reveals that women are underrepresented in the science,
technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce as they comprise only “24 percent
of STEM workers” (p.2). Greider et al. (2019) argue that the reason for the
underrepresentation of female workers in STEM lies in “sexual and gender-based
harassment” (p. 692). From this, it could be inferred that women face numerous barriers
that prevent them from being employed in the field of natural and applied sciences.

A striking example of discrimination against women

in the workplace is the main character of the film «On
the Basis of Sex».
That was in 1956. Ginsburg is now one of three women on the nine-member Supreme
Court, and not even her most dogged ideological enemies would question her right to
be there. (The Senate vote for her confirmation in 1993 was 96-3) “On
the Basis of Sex,” directed by Mimi Leder from a screenplay by Daniel Stiepleman
(Justice Ginsburg’s nephew), is interested in Ginsburg’s role in bringing about this
change. Rather than trace the full arc of her career, it focuses on the first sex-
discrimination case she argued in federal court in the early 1970s, and on the
development of a legal strategy to challenge injustices so deeply ingrained as to seem
perfectly natural.

One of the first things you hear in “On the Basis of Sex” is the song “Ten Thousand
Men of Harvard.” And that is more or less what you see onscreen: a parade of mostly
pale males in dark suits marching through Cambridge. In their midst is Ruth Bader
Ginsburg (Felicity Jones), a first-year law student and one of only nine women (out
of nearly 500 students) in her class.

At a dinner party, she and the others are asked by Erwin Griswold, the dean of the
law school (Sam Waterston), why they think they have the right to be there instead of
the men who might have been admitted instead. The answers range from fumbling to
diplomatic, but the intent of the question could not be clearer. Harvard, like nearly
every other institution where power is concentrated and influence is transmitted, is
no place for a woman.

Her experience of sexism in the legal profession starts at Harvard

and continues after she graduates (from Columbia, where she
transferred after two years) and tries to find work, taking a teaching
job at Rutgers when no firm will hire her.

Once she takes up her breakthrough case — representing Charles

Moritz (Chris Mulkey), a Colorado man denied a tax benefit
routinely given to women caring for family members — the movie
becomes a series of arguments about gender, society and the law.
Remaining challenges and some possible solutions

Recent research has shown that although women now enter professional
schools in numbers nearly equal to men, they are still substantially less
likely to reach the highest echelons of their professions.

Recent research has shown that although women now

enter professional schools in numbers nearly equal to
men, they are still substantially less likely to reach
the highest echelons of their professions.
The gap in earnings between men and women has narrowed substantially,
but progress has slowed lately, and women working full time still earn
about 17 percent less than men, on average, each week. Even when we
compare men and women in the same or similar occupations who appear
nearly identical in background and experience, a gap of about 10 percent
typically remains. As such, we cannot rule out that gender-related
impediments hold back women, including outright discrimination, attitudes
that reduce women’s success in the workplace, and an absence of
mentors.

Recent research has shown that although women now enter professional
schools in numbers nearly equal to men, they are still substantially less
likely to reach the highest echelons of their professions.

One of the primary factors contributing to the failure of these highly skilled
women to reach the tops of their professions and earn equal pay is that top
jobs in fields such as law and business require longer workweeks and
penalize taking time off. This would have a disproportionately large effect
on women who continue to bear the lion’s share of domestic and child-
rearing responsibilities.

But it can be difficult for women to meet the demands in these fields once
they have children. The very fact that these types of jobs require such long
hours likely discourages some women—as well as men—from pursuing
these career tracks.

One of the primary factors contributing to the failure of these highly skilled
women to reach the tops of their professions and earn equal pay is that top
jobs in fields such as law and business require longer workweeks and
penalize taking time off. This would have a disproportionately large effect
on women who continue to bear the lion’s share of domestic and child-
rearing responsibilities.

Workin' Moms is a Canadian television sitcom that premiered on CBC Television on January

10, 2017.[1] The show stars Catherine Reitman, Jessalyn Wanlim, Dani Kind, Enuka Okuma,
and Juno Rinaldi[2] as a group of friends dealing with the challenges of being working mothers.
[3]
 The series is produced by Wolf + Rabbit Entertainment, the production company of Reitman
and her husband, Philip Sternberg.[2]
In February 2019, in the middle of season 3, the series premiered globally on Netflix.[4][5] On May
29, 2019, Workin' Moms was renewed for a fourth season, which premiered on February 18,
2020.[6] In April 2020, the series was renewed for a fifth season,[7] which premiered on February
16, 2021.[8] In June 2021, the series was renewed for a sixth season.,[9] which premiered on
January 4, 2022. On June 20, 2022, creator Catherine Reitman announced that pre-production
had begun on a seventh and final season, which premiered on January 3, 2023.

Set in modern-day Toronto, this dramedy series chronicles the lives of five moms who form

unusual friendships through a very insightful, yet provocative "Mommy and Me" class, and on

their difficult path of urban motherhood, which is packed with the turmoil of kids, highs and lows,

careers, Marriage and identity issues, all while attempting to reach the holy grail: a sense of self.

‘Workin’ Moms’ is a 22-minute drama comedy or dramedy, consisting of 13 episodes. It was

created by Catherine Reitman, of the famous Reitman family, and Phillip Sternberg,
Reitman’s husband both in real life and on the show. ‘Workin Moms’ is that rare combination
of drama, comedy, and most importantly: a three-dimensional portrayal of working women.

The show follows Kate (Catherine Reitman), an in your face ad executive trying to balance
career and motherhood. She is blunt and assertive, though usually struggles with sexism at
work, which makes her life all the more difficult – because she’s damn good at her job. She
achieves a promotion at the end of the season moving to Montreal. However, her son becomes
sick and is hospitalized. This leads to a confrontation with her boss, Victoria, and Kate is
subsequently placed on leave. However, she is able to receive a large settlement due to the
mistreatment she received.Supporting her, as well as each other, are her friends from the
‘Mommy and Me’ class: Anne (Dani Kind), a psychiatrist dealing with an unwanted
pregnancy and a 9-year old daughter – who has become an ‘early bloomer’ in terms of
exploring her sexuality at her gradeschool as of late (though its mostly just kisses,
provocative dressing, and flashing), Frankie (Juno Rinaldi), a mother struggling as a real
estate broker who is in denial about the severity of her postpartum depression, and Jenny
(Jessalyn Wanlim) a woman having an early midlife crises, who wants to have an affair with
her manager as she is no longer attracted to her husband.

“Workin’ Moms” revolves around a quartet of women who return to work

following a maternity leave. The dark humor tackles subject matter like postpartum
depression and abortion, while also highlighting the realistic challenges of
breastfeeding, body image, bonding with the baby and mom guilt.

“This isn’t just a show about flawed women trying to reclaim their ambition.
There’s a repression against mothers where we’re expected to be full-time workers
and pretend we’re not mothers, and then expected to be full-time mothers who
pretend we’re not working. Simultaneously, within the hours of the week that
exist,” says show creator Catherine Reitman. “It felt like, OK we can’t just tell the
story of women trying to be ambitions and those challenges, we have to show the
darkness that we face all the time.”

To sum up, it should be stated that even though in the modern globalized world, women
actively promote their rights and freedom, and feminist movements gain popularity,
female workers remain underestimated. Even in the sphere of humanities, the paintings of
male artists are more expensive and more popular. Undoubtedly, the gap is gradually
reducing and, probably, in a few decades, the situation with women in the workforce will
be better than now. Until society does not eradicate stereotypes connected with gender, the
discussed issue would remain topical.

References
American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2015). Gender and the Occupations of
Humanities Majors. Web.

Brown, T. (2019). Why is work by female artists still valued less than work by male
artists? Arts Economics. Web.
Giddens, A. (1990). The consequences of modernity. Polity Press.

Goldin, C. (2006). The quiet revolution that transformed women’s employment,

education, and family. American economic review, 96(2), 1-21.

Greider, C. W., Sheltzer, J. M., Cantalupo, N. C., Copeland, W. B., Dasgupta, N.,
Hopkins, N., & McLaughlin, B. (2019). Increasing gender diversity in the STEM research
workforce. Science, 366(6466), 692-695.

Kossoudji, S. A., & Dresser, L. J. (1992). Working class rosies: Women industrial workers
during World War II. Journal of Economic History, 52(2), 431-446.

Noonan, R. (2017). Women in STEM: 2017 Update. US Department of Commerce. Web.

The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2019). Women in Science. Fact Sheet No. 55. Web.

Trusz, S. (2020). Why do females choose to study humanities or social sciences, while
males prefer technology or science? Some intrapersonal and interpersonal
predictors. Social Psychology of Education, 23, 615–639.

World Health Organization (2019). Delivered by women, led by men: A gender and equity
analysis of the global health and social workforce. Web.