FMLA
Partnership
FMLA
Handbook
Work is one of the most important and rewarding aspects of a person's life and character. One's profession typically defines her personality and is a means to excel and improve one's position. Women's work has traditionally been reserved for the private sphere and consisted of domestic duties of the household. Whether women's work has been repeatedly undervalued and under-appreciated compared with traditional male work. Many families have not always been so lucky and both women and their children were forced to work in addition to their husbands and fathers. Customary service and caring sector jobs women have taken outside the house such as nursing have merely been considered an extension of the home and unfortunately, this common prejudice persists. At the turn of the century many women and children found themselves exploited in the factories and demanded protective legislation. Women's suffrage groups advocated a shorter workday and increased protection for the children. Many women were afraid that the right to vote would take away from this protection and the same argument was made in the 1970s when feminists recommended an Equal Rights Amendment. Presently, no such amendment exists and women continue to fight for equality in all aspects of society. Employment has been a serious issue for women's rights advocates and FMLA made considerable strides for women, men, and their families.
Aside from the improvement Title IX made for women athletes, it is noted for the doors it opened in every aspect of education. The increase of women attending colleges and universities has been dramatic as the number of schools refusing to admit women or restricting their numbers has declined substantially. In 1972, women only earned 9% of all medical degrees; 7% of earned law degrees; and 25% of doctoral degrees. Title IX's overall effort was to encourage girls in educational areas that had traditionally excluded them. The opportunities that were extended to girls in the math and sciences helped women secure better positions in the work force. Businesses were found to be just as unreceptive to women as many higher educational institutions had been and the degrees earned by women did not end sex discrimination in employment.
Copyright Molly Egan, Jason Wood; Lehigh University 1999