More and more women are now going out to work and some women are now the major salary earner in the family. What are the causes of this, and what effect is this having on families and society?

In the past, most women stayed at home to take care of domestic chores

such

as cooking or cleaning. Women's liberation and feminism have meant that

this

situation has been transformed and in contemporary

society

women are playing an almost equal role with men in terms of work.

This

has had significant consequences,

both

in terms of the family,

for example

by improving quality of

life

and increasing children's sense of independence, and

also

for

society

itself with greater gender equality. The main reasons behind the increase of women in the workplace are women's liberation and feminism. The women's liberation movement originated in the 1960s and was popularised by authors

such

as Simone de Beauvoir. As a consequence of

this

, new legislation emerged, granting women equal rights to men in many fields,

in particular

employment. Because of feminist ideas, men have taken up roles which were previously seen as being for women only, most importantly those related to child rearing.

As a result

of

this

, women have more time to pursue their own careers and interests. These have led to some significant effects,

both

to family

life

and to

society

as a whole.

Although

the earning capacity of a woman in her lifetime is generally much less than that of a man, she can

nevertheless

make a significant contribution to the family income. The most important consequence of

this

is an improved quality of

life

. By helping to maintain a steady income for the family, the pressure on the husband is considerably reduced,

hence

improving

both

the husband's and the wife's emotional well being.

Additionally

, the purchasing power of the family will

also

be raised.

This

means that the family can afford more luxuries

such

as foreign travel and a family car. A

further

effect on the family is the promotion of independence in the children. Some might argue that having

both

parents working might be damaging to the children because of a lack of parental attention.

However

,

such

children have to learn to look after themselves at an earlier age, and their parents often rely on them to help with the housework.

This

therefore

teaches them important

life

skills. As regards

society

, the most significant impact of women going to work is greater gender equality. There are an increasing number of women who are becoming politicians, lawyers, and even CEOs and company managers.

This

in turn has led to greater equality for women in all areas of

life

, not just employment.

For example

, women today have much stronger legal right to protect themselves against domestic violence and sexual discrimination in the workplace. In conclusion, the increasing number of women at work has brought about some important changes in family

life

, including improved quality of

life

and increased independence for children, as well as affecting

society

itself. It is clear that the sexes are still a long way from being equal in all areas of

life

,

however

, and perhaps the challenge of the present century is to ensure that

this

takes place.