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